Lifting device

Abstract

To provide a lift device that enables a care giver to reasonably execute assistant without the need of operation of a lift in parallel with assistant work for a care receiver in transfer assistant by using the lift.SOLUTION: A control part 14 lifts up a care receiver supported by a first care instrument by operation of a lifting mechanism 11, continues lifting while passing temporary stopping, shifts to a power assistance control state when reaching a state of supporting the care receiver only by a lift, and makes the care receiver movable above a second care instrument under the power assistance control followed by allowing the care receiver to descend by the operation of a care giver. Furthermore, the control part makes the care receiver automatically descend by the lifting mechanism 11, and makes the care receiver reach a state of being supported only by the second care instrument without the need of operation by any operation means by the care giver in parallel with transfer of the care receiver. With this, the care giver can concentrate on assistant such as taking an assistant posture of adding both hands to the care receiver in each situation of transfer assistant, and can secure safety of the care receiver.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a care lift device that lifts a care recipient and assists the care recipient in moving (transferring) from a care device such as a bed to another care device such as a wheelchair. [Background technology]

[0002] In nursing care settings, nursing care lift devices that assist caregivers in lifting care recipients are effective in preventing back pain by reducing the workload on caregivers. In recent years, there has been a trend toward using such nursing care lift devices to improve the nursing care environment by eliminating the need for caregivers to lift care recipients, making it easier to secure nursing care personnel.

[0003] An example of such a conventional nursing care lift device is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2998843. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2998843 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As shown in the above-mentioned patent document, the conventional lift device is designed so that a drive mechanism is activated by operating an operating section provided on the lift body, thereby moving the care recipient. In such conventional lift devices, a remote switch (remote control) was often used for operation so that a caregiver could operate the lift device while standing nearby and providing assistance to the care recipient by moving the care recipient using the lift device.

[0006] When operating and using a lift device using such a remote switch, the caregiver must perform the care work and operate the remote switch while paying close attention to the safety of the person being cared for.

[0007] When using a lift device in a care setting, the caregiver must move around the care recipient multiple times, checking for safety before operating the remote switch to move the lift device. However, when the remote switch is connected to the lift main body via a wire, a connection cord exists between the remote switch and the lift main body, and part of the connection cord may become entangled with devices around the care recipient or the care recipient themselves, or may be trapped under the care recipient's body. In such cases, the connection cord, which cannot be extended to its full length, restricts the remote switch's range of motion, making it difficult to operate the remote switch. This not only makes it difficult to operate the remote switch, but also puts strong stress on the connection cord, which may lead to the connection cord breaking.

[0008] Furthermore, when using a lift device to raise or lower a care recipient onto or from a care device such as a bed or wheelchair, it is ideal for the caregiver to support the care recipient with both hands, paying attention to prevent swaying, torso tilt, arm entanglement, belt slippage, and falling. However, when using a remote switch, the remote switch is actually operated with one hand, so the caregiver ends up supporting the care recipient with only the other hand, i.e., one hand. Using the remote switch requires the caregiver to pay even more attention, making the task more difficult for the caregiver and potentially leading to a situation where the caregiver is reluctant to use the lift. In addition, supporting the care recipient with one hand may cause anxiety in the caregiver.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a lift device that allows the caregiver to assist the care recipient in moving using a lift without having to operate the lift at the same time as assisting the care recipient, and allows the caregiver to assist the care recipient in moving without difficulty. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The lift device according to the present disclosure comprises a movable main body frame, a lifting mechanism provided on the main body frame for suspending and raising and lowering a sling carrying a care recipient, a detection means for detecting a load applied to the lifting mechanism, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the lifting mechanism, wherein the control unit is capable of executing power assist control for calculating an assisting force from a caregiver applied to the care recipient based on the load detected by the detection means and for operating the lifting mechanism in accordance with the obtained assisting force, and the lift device for care is capable of moving the care recipient from a predetermined first care appliance to a second care appliance, and further comprises an operation unit having one or more switches including at least an automatic control switch for giving a predetermined control instruction to the control unit, and when the control unit receives an initial operation input to the automatic control switch, the control unit operates the lifting mechanism in an upward movement control mode for the care recipient positioned on the first care appliance to raise the sling carrying the care recipient, and interrupts the operation of the lifting mechanism one or more times during the lifting to temporarily suspend the lifting. The system continues to lift the care recipient while moving the carer upward, and when the load detected by the detection means does not increase or change for a predetermined period of time as the care recipient transitions from the first care appliance due to the lifting, the system stops lifting the lifting device by the lifting mechanism and terminates the upward movement control mode, and automatically or in response to an operation input to a predetermined switch, the system transitions the lifting mechanism to the power assist control state, and when a new operation input is received by the automatic control switch in the power assist control state, the system switches to a downward movement control mode, allowing the care recipient to descend by power assist control according to the downward assist force applied to the care recipient, and further, when the load detected by the detection means decreases to a predetermined value as the care recipient continues to descend, the system switches to a state in which the lifting mechanism is activated to automatically lower the care recipient without relying on the assist force, and when the load detected by the detection means does not decrease or change for a predetermined period of time as the care recipient transitions from the descent to a state in which the care recipient is supported by the second care appliance due to the care recipient's descent, the system stops operation of the lifting mechanism and terminates the downward movement control mode.

[0011] As described above, according to the disclosure of the present invention, when assisting a care recipient to move from a first care appliance to a second care appliance, the control unit first operates in an upward movement control mode to lift the care recipient supported by the first care appliance by operating the lifting mechanism, continues to lift the care recipient with one or more temporary stops, and when the care recipient reaches a state where it is properly supported by the lift device alone, switches to a power assist control mode, and after the care recipient moves upward to the second care appliance under power assist control, the control unit switches to a downward movement control mode to allow the care recipient to descend toward the second care appliance with the caregiver's assistance under power assist control, and when a portion of the care recipient is supported by the second care appliance and the reduction in the load supported by the lifting mechanism reaches a predetermined rate, switches to an automatic lowering mode to further lower the care recipient, and then lowers the care recipient to the second care appliance. In order to operate the lifting mechanism that moves the care recipient up and down, the caregiver does not need to use any operating means on the mechanism in parallel with the movement of the care recipient.This means that during the process of lifting the care recipient from the first care appliance until the power assist control state is reached where the caregiver can move the care recipient up and down directly with little force with the assistance of the lifting mechanism, and during the process of moving the care recipient from the power assist control state to the second care appliance as the destination, the caregiver can assist with the movement of the care recipient without simultaneously operating the lifting mechanism.This means that in various situations where assistance is needed to move the care recipient, the caregiver can concentrate on assisting, for example by placing both hands on the care recipient, and safety is ensured during the movement of the care recipient.

[0012] Furthermore, by temporarily stopping the process of lifting the care recipient from the first care device and creating a situation where the care recipient does not move, the caregiver is given an opportunity to carry out their work without interfering with the care recipient or their surroundings. During this pause, the caregiver can correct any problems that have become apparent during the movement up to that point, for example, with the way the care recipient is supported by the sling, thereby preventing a situation where the care recipient is left in an inappropriate supported state while the movement continues and this would have a negative impact on the care recipient.

[0013] In addition, in the lift device disclosed in the present invention, the control unit temporarily suspends the ascent of the cared person in the upward movement control mode when the load detection value of the detection means reaches a predetermined reference value that has been set in advance.

[0014] Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, in the upward movement control mode of the control unit, the timing for temporarily halting the lifting of the care recipient by the lifting mechanism is set to the point when the load detected by the detection means reaches a preset reference value, and the lifting is temporarily halted based on the increasing change in the load detection value as the care recipient rises.By setting an appropriate reference value, for example, a value equivalent to the load detection value when the care recipient has risen slightly and is supported by both the lift device and the first care appliance, the lifting can be temporarily halted at an appropriate timing, such as when the weight of the care recipient is not being applied to the sling so little that problems with the support status of the care recipient by the sling have not yet been identified, or when the weight of the care recipient is not being applied to the sling so much that the support status of the care recipient by the sling cannot be changed, providing an appropriate opportunity to correct the support status of the care recipient by the sling.

[0015] In addition, in the lift device disclosed in the present invention, if necessary, the control unit sets a reference value for the load detection value related to the timing to temporarily suspend the ascent of the cared person in the upward movement control mode based on the weight of the cared person detected in advance.

[0016] Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, in the upward movement control mode of the control unit, the reference load value related to the timing for temporarily pausing the lifting of the care recipient by the lifting mechanism is set for each care recipient based on the care recipient's weight. This allows an appropriate reference value to be set for each care recipient, corresponding to the degree of change in the load detection value as the lifting progresses, which differs depending on the weight of each care recipient.This means that the lifting can be temporarily stopped in the appropriate situation even if the care recipient changes, and the caregiver can easily perform tasks in the paused state, such as adjusting the support status of the care recipient with the lifting device.

[0017] In addition, the lift device disclosed in the present invention will, if necessary, transition to downward movement control mode when the control unit receives an operation input to the automatic control switch while in power assist control mode and the caregiver is not performing any assistance operations on the care recipient and is not operating the lifting mechanism.

[0018] Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, when the control unit is in the power assist control state and the caregiver is not performing any assisting operation, so no assisting force is being applied and the lifting mechanism is not operating, when the control unit receives an operation input from the automatic control switch, it controls the control to transition to the downward movement control mode, and if the care recipient is already positioned above the second care device, the caregiver operates the control unit to lower the care recipient toward the second care device, and then the care recipient is automatically lowered to complete the descent.This allows the control unit to remain in the power assist control state and move the care recipient appropriately until the caregiver performs a movement assistance operation for the care recipient and correctly positions the care recipient in a position above the second care device.On the other hand, when the care recipient reaches above the second care device and no operation other than lowering the care recipient is required by the caregiver, the control unit can transition to the downward movement control mode at the timing desired by the caregiver, allowing the care recipient to be moved smoothly and quickly to the second care device.

[0019] In addition, the lift device according to the present disclosure can also be configured as follows, if necessary.

[0020] When the control unit of the lift device disclosed in the present invention receives an operation input to the automatic control switch while in the power assist control state and the lifting mechanism is operating to move the person being cared for, the control unit temporarily stops the power assist control, acquires and sets a new load equivalent to the weight of the person being cared for as the reference load value for calculating the assist force in the power assist control, and then resumes the power assist control.

[0021] As described above, according to the disclosure of the present invention, when the control unit is in a power assist control state and is operating the lifting mechanism to move the care recipient, if the control unit receives an operation input from the automatic control switch, the power assist control is temporarily stopped, a new load equivalent to the weight of the care recipient is detected and acquired, and this is set as the load reference value required for the power assist control. The power assist control is then resumed, and the lifting mechanism is operated according to the assisting force calculated based on the new reference value. In this way, if an incorrect reference value is set because, for example, the assisting force of the caregiver operating the care recipient is recognized as part of the static load of the care recipient, and the control unit erroneously determines that an assisting force is present due to the discrepancy between the incorrect reference value and the true load when the caregiver is not performing a movement assistance operation, and operates the lifting mechanism, causing the care recipient to move inappropriately, the caregiver can immediately stop the power assist control and correct the incorrect load reference value set by the control unit. This makes it easier to ensure the accuracy and safety of the movement of the care recipient under power assist control, and eliminates the need for a separate operating means such as a switch to instruct the power assist control to stop and then resume control after normalization, thereby reducing the cost of the device.

[0022] In addition, in the lift device disclosed in the present invention, if necessary, the control unit continues to temporarily suspend the ascent of the cared person in the upward movement control mode while the detection means detects a change in load associated with the caregiver performing a specified assistance task.

[0023] Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, when the control unit's upward movement control mode temporarily suspends the lifting of the care recipient by the lifting mechanism, the paused state is maintained while the detection means detects a change in load associated with the caregiver performing a procedure on the care recipient or the lifting device as part of the caregiver's assistive care work, and by not resuming the lifting of the care recipient while the caregiver is performing the assistive care work, it is ensured that the caregiver can perform the assistive care work without difficulty, and after the lifting is resumed, safe lifting can be achieved under correct support conditions.

[0024] In addition, the lift device disclosed in the present invention will, if necessary, temporarily suspend the movement of the cared person when the control unit receives an operation input to the automatic control switch in at least one of the states in which the control unit further raises the cared person after temporarily suspending the cared person's ascent in the upward movement control mode, and the state in which the control unit automatically lowers the cared person in the downward movement control mode.

[0025] According to the disclosure of the present invention, when the control unit receives an operation input to the automatic control switch while the care recipient is being further raised after pausing in the upward movement control mode, or while the care recipient is being automatically lowered in the downward movement control mode, the control unit controls the movement of the care recipient to be paused, providing an opportunity to stop the movement of the care recipient.In this way, in addition to the normal pause in the ascent process in the upward movement control mode, if the care recipient is mistakenly raised while in an improper support state, or lowered in a position where the care recipient cannot properly come into contact with the second care device, the movement of the care recipient can be immediately stopped and the caregiver can resolve the improper state, making it easier to ensure the safety of the movement of the care recipient, and by making the automatic control switch available as an operating means for pausing, there is no need to provide a separate operating means such as a switch to instruct the care recipient to stop movement, thereby reducing the cost of the device.

[0026] In addition, the lift device disclosed in the present invention will, if necessary, release the paused state when the control unit receives an operation input to the automatic control switch during at least one of the paused state during the upward movement control mode of the cared person being raised and the paused state during the downward movement control mode of the cared person being automatically lowered.

[0027] Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, when the control unit receives an operation input to the automatic control switch during a pause in the process of the care recipient ascending in the upward movement control mode or the cared person's automatic descent in the downward movement control mode, it controls the lifting mechanism to cancel the pause and resumes the movement of the care recipient.If the care recipient's improper support state, etc. is resolved during the pause in the movement and the cared recipient becomes able to be moved again, the caregiver can immediately return to the state of moving the care recipient at their discretion, allowing the movement of the care recipient to be completed quickly and, by making the automatic control switch available as an operation means for canceling the stop, there is no need to provide a separate operation means such as a switch to instruct the cared recipient to cancel the pause state, thereby reducing the cost of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a lift device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram of a lift device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention starts to lift a care recipient. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a care recipient is being lifted by the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of control in an upward movement control mode in the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart of power assist control in the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a care recipient is being lowered by the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention has finished lowering a care recipient. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing the main part of a control in a downward movement control mode in the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 4 is a supplementary flowchart of control in a downward movement control mode in the lift device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a care recipient is being lifted by a lift device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a care recipient is being lowered by a lift device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a lift device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of power assist control in a lift device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart of control in an upward movement control mode in a lift device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] (First embodiment of the present invention) A lift device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. In this embodiment, an example of a floor-traveling type lift device that can move from the vicinity of a first care apparatus, which is the care recipient's origin, to the vicinity of a second care apparatus, which is the care recipient's destination, will be described.

[0030] In each of the above figures, the lift device 1 of this embodiment is configured to include a movable main frame 10, a lifting mechanism 11 that is attached to the main frame 10 and suspends and lowers a lifting device 50 carrying a care recipient 80, a sensor 12 as a detection means for detecting the load applied to the lifting mechanism 11, an operation unit 13 that accepts various operational inputs from a caregiver 90 related to the up and down movement of the care recipient 80 by the lifting mechanism 11, and a control unit 14 that controls the operation of the lifting mechanism 11.

[0031] The main body frame 10 has a base portion 10a that contacts the ground or floor surface and supports the entire lift device, and a pillar- or tower-shaped upright portion 10b that protrudes upward from the base portion 10a. The base portion 10a has a plurality of wheels that can roll on the ground or floor surface, and is movable relative to the ground or floor surface. An upright portion 10b is provided at the rear of the base portion 10a.

[0032] A handle 10c is attached to the top of the standing section 10b, which the caregiver 90 holds when moving the entire lift device. To allow the caregiver 90 to easily change the direction of movement when using this handle 10c to move the lift, some of the wheels provided on the base section 10a can be attached so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the base section 10a.

[0033] The lifting mechanism 11 comprises an approximately arm-shaped arm 11a tiltably connected to the upper part of the standing part 10b of the main frame 10, an actuator 11b interposed between the arm 11a and the standing part 10b and tilting the arm 11a by extension and contraction, and a hanger part 11c provided at the tip side of the arm 11a and capable of hanging a lifting device 50.

[0034] The actuator 11b is a known linear actuator that moves a movable part attached to the arm 11a in a straight line relative to a fixed part attached to the upright part 10b. The actuator 11b can be configured to operate by, for example, rotating a screw shaft with an electric motor and moving an advance / retract shaft part that is screwed onto the screw shaft.

[0035] The actuator 11b operates by causing the movable part to move back and forth relative to the fixed part, thereby causing the entire unit to expand and contract, tilting the arm 11a relative to the standing part 10b of the main frame 10, and via the hanger part 11c at the end of the arm 11a and the hanging device 50 suspended from it, the person being cared for 80 can be raised and lowered relative to the first care device and the second care device, such as a bed 60 or wheelchair 70, so that the person being cared for can be placed in a state where they are supported in contact with these devices, or in a state where they are away from these devices and are not supported.

[0036] The hanger portion 11c is formed in a shape similar to that of a general clothes hanger, and is attached to the tip of the arm 11a so as to have a degree of freedom to rotate around a plurality of axes. The hanger portion 11c has hooking portions at both ends, and is designed so that the ends (string portions) of a sheet-like sling 50 for suspending the care recipient 80 can be hung thereon.

[0037] The sensor 12 is disposed between the hanger portion 11c and the arm 11a of the lifting mechanism 11, and detects the vertical load applied to the arm 11a via the hanger portion 11c as the load applied to the lifting mechanism 11. When the care recipient 80 is suspended from the hanger portion 11c of the lifting mechanism 11 by the sling 50, the weight of the care recipient 80 is included in the load detected by the sensor 12. The sensor 12 may be, for example, a load cell (strain gauge).

[0038] This sensor 12 is electrically connected to the control unit 14 and outputs the detected load as a signal to the control unit 14. When the output signal from the sensor 12 is input to the control unit 14, the control unit 14 compares the load acquired from the signal with a reference value based on the weight of the care recipient 80, and if the load is greater than the reference value, it determines that the sling 50 carrying the care recipient 80 is being pushed downward. Conversely, if the load is less than the reference value, it determines that the sling 50 is being lifted upward.

[0039] The operating unit 13 has a plurality of switches that accept operational inputs related to various operating instructions for the lift device 1, including raising and lowering the care recipient 80 suspended by the lifting mechanism 11, and is arranged near the connection point between the arm 11a of the suspension mechanism 11 and the main frame 10, and is capable of transmitting operational inputs to the switches to the control unit 14.

[0040] The operating unit 13 is configured to include switches such as an automatic control switch 13a for causing the control unit 14 to perform predetermined control that has been set in advance, an up switch 13b for tilting the arm 11a upward with the actuator 11b and raising the care recipient 80, and a down switch 13c for tilting the arm 11a downward with the actuator 11b and lowering the care recipient 80.

[0041] In addition, the operating unit 13 can be arranged in a location other than near the connection point between the arm 11a of the hanging mechanism 11 and the main frame 10, for example, in the standing part 10b or base part 10a of the main frame 10, as long as it is easy for caregivers to operate the switch with their hands or feet and is unlikely to cause unintended contact that could lead to incorrect operation.

[0042] Furthermore, each switch of the operation unit 13 is not limited to a type that switches ON / OFF by direct operation with a hand, foot, etc., but may be a type that recognizes a specific voice, human movement, or gesture as an operation and performs the function of a switch. In this case, the switch may be capable of realizing the switch function by recognizing the movement of the care recipient 80 himself / herself.

[0043] The control unit 14 controls the operation of the lifting mechanism 11 based on operations from the operating unit 13 or pre-set procedures, and is also capable of calculating the assisting force applied by the caregiver 90 to the care recipient 80 as a direct assisting operation based on the load detected by the sensor 12 as the detection means, and performing power assist control to operate the lifting mechanism 11 according to the obtained assisting force.

[0044] When control unit 14 receives an operation input to lift switch 13b of operation unit 13, while the switch is in the ON state, control unit 14 activates actuator 11b to tilt arm 11a upward, thereby lifting care recipient 80 together with sling 50. Furthermore, when control unit 14 receives an operation input to lowering switch 13c, while the switch is in the ON state, control unit 14 activates actuator 11b to tilt arm 11a downward, thereby lowering care recipient 80.

[0045] Furthermore, when the control unit 14 receives an operation input to the automatic control switch 13a of the operating unit 13, it executes a series of controls as an upward movement control mode and a downward movement control mode, together with power assist control, corresponding to the process of moving the care recipient 80 from the first care device to the second care device, to operate the lifting mechanism 11.

[0046] However, if an operation input is received to the ascent switch 13b or the descent switch 13c while the lifting mechanism 11 is being operated by the control of the upward movement control mode and the downward movement control mode, the above controls are stopped, and priority is given to the control of activating the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 to raise or lower the care recipient 80 based on the operation input to the ascent switch 13b or the descent switch 13c.

[0047] Power assist control is a well-known control method in which, when an operating force in the direction of movement is applied to a supported object supported by a lift device through a direct movement assist operation by an operator on the supported object to move the supported object, such as raising and lowering the object, the operating force applied by the operator to move the supported object is calculated by subtracting a load based on the weight of the supported object from the total load of the supported object detected by the load detection means of the lift device, and a drive mechanism for supporting the supported object is activated according to the obtained operating force, so that the supported object is moved within a range in which the device can support the supported object, as if the supported object were moved by an operation by the operator to move it directly, with almost no burden on the operator to support the load, and detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0048] When an assisting force (operating force) in the direction of movement is applied to the cared person 80, who is a supported person suspended from the lifting mechanism 11, by the caregiver 90's assisting operation for moving the cared person 80 up and down, the power assist control by the control unit 14 calculates the assisting force applied to the cared person 80 by the caregiver 90 by subtracting the load equivalent to the weight of the cared person 80, which was obtained in advance, from the total load detected by the sensor 12, and operates the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 according to the obtained assisting force, tilting the arm 11a up or down to move the cared person 80.

[0049] In detail, as a power assist control, when the detected value of the total load resulting from the addition of the assisting force (upward: negative load, downward: positive load) due to the assisting operation to the reference value of the load based on the weight of the care recipient 80 shows a difference that exceeds a pre-set threshold, for example ±19.6 N (±2 kgf), the control unit 14 activates the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 to raise or lower the care recipient 80, thereby realizing a reduction in the burden on the caregiver 90 by power assisting the up and down movement of the care recipient 80.

[0050] In the power assist control, when the difference between the load detection value obtained from the output signal of the sensor and the reference value exceeds a threshold value and the lifting mechanism 11 is to be activated, the control unit 14 calculates and determines the movement amount (assist amount) of the care recipient 80 depending on the magnitude of the difference between the load detection value and the reference value, and activates the lifting mechanism 11 accordingly to move the care recipient 80. The control unit 14 also obtains the rate of increase / decrease in the output signal of the sensor 12, and determines the speed of movement based on this.

[0051] In the power assist control, the control unit 14 monitors the change in the load output value detected by the sensor 12, and does not recognize a large load change in a short period of time that exceeds a predetermined change rate as a transient irregular change caused by the assisting force of the caregiver 90, but operates the lifting mechanism 11 only for appropriate load changes.

[0052] In addition, the control unit 14 detects a change in load with the sensor 12, determines that the difference between the detected load value and the reference value exceeds a threshold, and sets a predetermined waiting time (e.g., 1 second) before activating the lifting mechanism 11. Only when the load change continues to differ from the reference value by exceeding the threshold for at least the waiting time, does the control unit 14 determine that the load change is appropriate due to the assisting force of the caregiver 90 and executes control to activate the lifting mechanism 11. This makes it possible to exclude momentary and transient load changes such as impacts at the start of operation, correctly determine that the load change is due to the assisting force, and appropriately activate the lifting mechanism 11. Furthermore, by determining the load state after the load change has reached a stable state that continues for the waiting time, it is less likely that the assisting force will be erroneously determined, and the lifting mechanism 11 can be appropriately activated based on the load change due to the assisting force.

[0053] Furthermore, when the control unit 14 moves the care recipient 80 from the first care appliance to the second care appliance, upon first receiving an operation input to the automatic control switch 13a of the operation unit 13, it operates the lifting mechanism 11 for the care recipient 80 positioned on the first care appliance, automatically lifts the sling 50 carrying the care recipient 80, interrupts the operation of the lifting mechanism one or more times during the lifting to temporarily suspend the lifting, continues lifting the care recipient 80, and then stops the lifting after the care recipient 80 is separated from the first care appliance. After this upward movement control mode, the control unit 14 performs a series of controls until the lifting is stopped.

[0054] Furthermore, when the control unit 14 receives an operation input to the automatic control switch 13a of the operation unit 13 in the power assist control state and the care recipient 80 has moved above the second care appliance, the control unit 14 starts control in the downward movement control mode. In this downward movement control mode, the care recipient 80 is allowed to descend by a type of power assist control according to the downward assist force applied to the care recipient 80, and when the load detected by the sensor 12 decreases to a predetermined value as the care recipient 80 continues to descend, the control unit 14 operates the lifting mechanism 11 to automatically lower the care recipient 80 without relying on the assist force, and after the care recipient 80 is supported by the second care appliance, the control unit 14 performs a series of controls until the operation of the lifting mechanism 11 is stopped.

[0055] In addition, the control unit 14 does not normally perform power assist control when the care recipient 80 is automatically raised or lowered in the upward movement control mode or the downward movement control mode, but can perform similar control based on the load continuously detected by the sensor 12. For example, when the care recipient 80 is automatically raised in the upward movement control mode, if the caregiver 90 applies an upward assisting force and the assisting force is equal to or greater than a preset load value, the control unit 14 can increase the speed of the ascent within a safe range. When the care recipient 80 is automatically lowered in the downward movement control mode, if the caregiver 90 applies a downward assisting force and the assisting force is equal to or greater than a preset load value, the control unit 14 can increase the speed of the descent within a safe range. Conversely, when the care recipient 80 is automatically raised in the upward movement control mode, if the caregiver 90 applies a downward assisting force, the control unit 14 can decrease the speed of the ascent. When the care recipient 80 is automatically lowered in the downward movement control mode, if the caregiver 90 applies an upward assisting force, the control unit 14 can decrease the speed of the descent.

[0056] In addition, when the control unit 14 switches to the control state of the upward movement control mode or the downward movement control mode by operating the automatic control switch 13a, or when it is in the power assist control state, a display unit such as a lamp indicating the control state may be provided in a position on the lift device that is easily visible to the caregiver 90, such as the tip of the arm, or the lift device may be configured to have a sound output unit that indicates the start and end of the above control state with a buzzer sound or voice, etc.

[0057] Next, the operating state of the lift device according to this embodiment will be described. As a premise, the lift device 1 is assumed to have a built-in battery or be connected to a commercial power source, and to be in a state in which the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 can be operated by the control unit 14 without any problems in response to the operation of a caregiver or other person or a preset procedure, and the supported care recipient 80 can be lifted or lowered without difficulty. Furthermore, the lift device 1 is assumed to be applied to a movement process of a care recipient 80 receiving predetermined care, in which the first care tool serving as the source of movement (starting point of movement) is a bed 60, and the second care tool serving as the destination of movement (end point of movement) is a wheelchair 70.

[0058] When moving a care recipient 80 from a bed 60 as the first care device to a wheelchair 70 as the second care device, the following steps are required: the care recipient 80 supported on the bed 60 is transitioned to a state where it is supported by a lift device 1, the care recipient 80 is then moved together with the lift device 1 from near the bed 60 to near the destination wheelchair 70, and the care recipient 80 is then transitioned from being supported by the lift device 1 to being supported by the wheelchair 70.

[0059] When the care recipient 80 is raised from the bed 60, which is the first care device, and supported by the lift device 1, the caregiver 90 first passes the sheet-like sling 50 under the care recipient 80, who is lying on his / her back on the bed 60, so that the sling 50 can support the back of the thighs and back, and the string portion at the end of the sling 50 appears next to the body of the care recipient 80 and can be hooked onto both ends of the hanger portion 11c of the lifting mechanism 11.

[0060] Then, the caregiver 90 holds the handle 10c and moves the entire lift device until the end of the base 10a of the main frame 10 is positioned under the bed 60 as needed, so that the hanger 11c at the tip of the arm 11a is positioned directly above the care recipient 80. Also, the caregiver 90 operates the up switch 13b or the down switch 13c of the operation unit 13 as needed to adjust the height of the hanger 11c so that the sling 50 can be hung on the hanger 11c.

[0061] The string at the end of the sling 50 is hung on the end of the hanger part 11c above the care recipient 80, and when preparations for lifting are complete, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a of the operation unit 13.

[0062] Upon receiving the first operational input to automatic control switch 13a during this movement opportunity, controller 14 starts control in the upward movement control mode (see FIG. 5), activates actuator 11b of lifting mechanism 11, and tilts arm 11a upward. The tilting arm 11a gradually moves the end of sling 50 hanging from hanger portion 11c upward, tensioning sling 50 that had been loose. Then, care recipient 80, who is supported from below by sling 50 in a tensioned state, is lifted up together with sling 50 and automatically moved upward little by little (see FIG. 3).

[0063] As the care recipient 80 supported by the sling 50 rises and the state in which the weight of the care recipient 80 is supported by the bed 60 gradually transitions to a state in which the weight of the care recipient 80 is supported by the sling 50, the load of the sling 50 is applied via the hanger portion 11c, and the load detected by the sensor 12 at the tip of the arm 11a increases.

[0064] Furthermore, if, while moving the cared person 80 upward in this manner, the caregiver 90 finds that continuing the movement would pose a problem, such as the cared person 80 not being properly supported by the sling 50, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, and the control unit 14 receives the operation input to this automatic control switch 13a, temporarily stops the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, stops the movement of the cared person 80, and then operates the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 in the opposite direction, tilting the arm 11a downward, lowering the cared person 80 and returning it to its initial state before the movement, and terminates the control of the upward movement control mode.

[0065] While the cared person 80 is being moved upward, when the load detected by the sensor 12 reaches a predetermined stop reference value, for example, 294 N (30 kgf), the control unit 14 interrupts the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 and temporarily suspends the lifting of the cared person 80.

[0066] In this paused state, the caregiver 90 can check whether the care recipient 80 is properly supported by the sling 50 and, if necessary, perform work such as decompression to correct the situation. At this time, if the care recipient 80 has risen sufficiently above the bed 60 and is in a state where the direction of the care recipient 80 together with the hanger portion 11c and the sling 50 can be changed, it is desirable to change the direction of the care recipient 80 and put their legs out to the side of the bed 60.

[0067] After the caregiver 90 has completed tasks such as checking on the care recipient 80, when the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again, the control unit 14 receives the operation input to the automatic control switch 13a, resumes operation of the actuator 11b, releases the paused state of movement, and starts the lifting of the care recipient 80 again.

[0068] After the lifting has resumed, if the caregiver 90 again finds that continuing the movement of the care recipient 80 will pose a problem while moving the care recipient 80 upward, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, and in response to the operation input to this automatic control switch 13a, the control unit 14 interrupts the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, temporarily stopping the movement of the care recipient 80, allowing the caregiver 90 to correct the support state of the care recipient 80. Once a state in which there are no problems with the movement of the care recipient 80 has been achieved, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again, and in response to the operation input to this automatic control switch 13a, the control unit 14 resumes the operation of the actuator 11b, cancels the paused state of the movement, and resumes the lifting of the care recipient 80.

[0069] Similarly, if, while moving the cared person 80 upward after the lifting has resumed, a situation arises in which there is a problem not only with the movement of the cared person 80 but also with the continued state of the cared person 80 not being supported by the bed 60, when the caregiver 90 operates the lowering switch 13c, the control unit 14 will cease control of the upward movement control mode, temporarily stop the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, and then operate the actuator 11b in the reverse direction based on the input to the lowering switch 13c, tilting the arm 11a downward and returning the cared person 80 to the initial state of lying on his back on the bed 60 before the movement.

[0070] During the process of the care recipient 80 ascending, with the temporary suspension period in between, the caregiver 90 does not, in principle, need to operate the operating unit 13, and can therefore concentrate on assisting the care recipient 80 to move. Unlike the situation when using a conventional lift device, where the caregiver 90 has to assist the care recipient 80 by holding and operating a remote switch in his / her hand, the caregiver 90 can use both hands to assist the moving care recipient 80 (see Figure 4), which makes it easier to deal flexibly with any abnormal situations and gives the care recipient 80 a sense of security.

[0071] As the lifting device 50 and the cared person 80 continue to rise, the load detected by the sensor 12 does not change even after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, and the cared person 80 can be considered to have completely left the top surface of the bed 60. Then, the control unit 14 determines that the upward movement is complete and ends the control of the upward movement control mode.

[0072] At the same time, the control unit 14 starts power assist control (see FIG. 6), and in the initial stage, recognizes and records the load detection value at this time as the weight of the care recipient 80. Note that the control unit 14 can also display the weight value thus obtained or the weight value of the care recipient 80 derived from the load detected by the sensor 12 at another timing on a predetermined display means provided in the lift device.

[0073] Then, the control unit 14 sets the weight value of the certified care recipient 80 as the reference value for control, and then activates the lifting mechanism 11 under power assist control. In the power assist control state, when an assisting force is applied to the care recipient 80 in the movement direction due to a direct assisting operation by the caregiver 90 relating to the up-and-down movement of the care recipient 80, the control unit 14 calculates the assisting force applied to the care recipient 80 by the caregiver 90 by subtracting a load equivalent to the weight of the care recipient 80, which is set as a reference value, from the total load detected by the sensor 12. Then, when the difference between the detected load value and the reference value exceeds a threshold value, i.e., when the assisting force is greater than the threshold range, the control unit 14 activates the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 in accordance with the obtained assisting force to move the arm 11a up and down, thereby realizing the movement of the care recipient 80 with almost no weight support burden on the caregiver 90, in a state where the care recipient 80 moves as if the caregiver 90 were directly operating the care recipient 80 to move the care recipient 80.

[0074] Under this power assist control state, the caregiver 90 adjusts the suspension height of the care recipient 80 who is away from the bed 60, for example by directly pushing up or down, and then holds the handle 10c of the lift device 1 to operate it, and moves the entire lift device together with the suspended care recipient 80 to the destination, i.e., near the wheelchair 70 as the second care equipment.

[0075] After the movement, when the care recipient 80 supported by the lift device 1 needs to be lowered into the wheelchair 70, the caregiver 90 first adjusts the position of the lift device 1 so that the care recipient 80 is positioned directly above the wheelchair 70. After that, when the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, the control unit 14 receives the operation input to the automatic control switch and newly starts control in the downward movement control mode (see Figures 9 and 10).

[0076] In the downward movement control mode, the initial downward movement of the care recipient 80 is controlled in the same way as the power assist control, and when the caregiver 90 applies a sufficient amount of assisting force to the care recipient 80 supported by the sling 50, either directly or via the hanger part 11c, the control part 14 detects this and activates the actuator 11b to tilt the arm 11a downward. This adjusts the height position of the care recipient 80, so that the care recipient 80 approaches the seat of the wheelchair 70 (see FIG. 7).

[0077] In the downward movement control mode, when the care recipient 80 moves downward and part of their body comes into contact with the seat of the wheelchair 70, with part of the care recipient 80's weight being supported by the wheelchair 70, when the caregiver 90 stops applying an assisting force, for example by releasing their hands that were assisting the care recipient 80, the load detected by the sensor 12 becomes smaller than before the movement. However, in the control of this downward movement control mode, when the caregiver 90 no longer applies a downward assisting force and the load detected by the sensor 12 does not change for a predetermined waiting time (e.g., one second), the control unit 14 sets the reference value for the power assist control to the load at that time. Therefore, even if the detected load value becomes smaller than before, the control unit 14 does not erroneously determine that an upward assisting force has been applied, and the lifting mechanism 11 is activated in response to the downward assisting force of the caregiver 90 that is applied directly or indirectly to the care recipient 80 thereafter, allowing the care recipient 80 to continue moving downward.

[0078] As the cared person 80 moves downward, the degree to which the cared person 80 is supported by the wheelchair 70 through the lift device gradually increases, and when the load detected by the sensor 12 decreases to a predetermined descent reference value, for example, 49 N (5 kgf), the control unit 14 terminates the control that operates the lifting mechanism 11 according to the assisting force, and enters a control state in which the cared person 80 is automatically lowered by activating the actuator 11 b to tilt the arm 11 a downward regardless of whether or not the caregiver 90 is providing assisting force, and moves the cared person 80 downward little by little.

[0079] If the caregiver 90 finds that continuing the movement of the care recipient 80 will pose a problem while the care recipient 80 is being automatically moved downward in this manner, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, which causes the control unit 14 to temporarily stop the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, then operate the actuator 11b in the opposite direction, tilting the arm 11a upward and returning the care recipient 80 to a position away from the seat of the wheelchair 70. When the situation around the cared person 80 improves and there is no problem with movement, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again, which resumes control of the downward movement control mode by the control unit 14, and the control unit 14 activates the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 in response to the downward assisting force applied by the caregiver 90, causing the cared person 80 to move downward in the same manner as described above.Furthermore, when the cared person 80 comes into contact with the seat of the wheelchair 70 and the load detected by the sensor 12 decreases to the predetermined amount, the system will transition to a state in which the cared person 80 is automatically moved downward in the same manner as described above.

[0080] Furthermore, if, during the process of automatically moving the cared person 80 downward, a situation arises in which there is a problem not only with the movement of the cared person 80 but also with the continued contact with the wheelchair 70, when the caregiver 90 operates the ascent switch 13b, the control unit 14 will cease control of the downward movement control mode, temporarily stop the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, and then operate the actuator 11b in the reverse direction, tilting the arm 11a upward and returning the cared person 80 to the position above the wheelchair 70 before movement in the downward movement control mode.

[0081] As the state of moving the cared person 80 gradually downward as an automatic descent continues, the cared person 80 is completely supported by the wheelchair 70 (see Figure 8), the load detected by the sensor 12 becomes almost zero, and if this state is maintained even after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the control unit 14 determines that the cared person 80 has completed moving, stops the operation of the actuator 11b for the control related to the automatic descent, and ends the control of the downward movement control mode.

[0082] After the control unit 14 stops operating the actuator 11b, the caregiver 90 removes the string of the sling 50 from the hanger part 11c above the care recipient 80 supported by the wheelchair 70, and releases the care recipient 80 from the lift device 1. Thereafter, the caregiver 90 operates the lift switch 13b of the operation unit 13 to raise the hanger part 11c as necessary, and further moves the entire lift device 1 so that it does not interfere with work on the care recipient 80 in the wheelchair 70, and then removes the sling 50 remaining below the care recipient 80, making it possible to move the care recipient 80 in the wheelchair 70.

[0083] In the upward movement control mode by the control unit 14, the load stop reference value for temporarily stopping the ascent of the care recipient 80 is set to 294 N (30 kgf) as an example, but this stop reference value can be set to a value adjusted in accordance with the weight of the care recipient 80 detected in advance. For example, the stop reference value can be set to a value smaller than 294 N for a care recipient 80 with a lighter weight, and the stop reference value can be set to a value larger than 294 N for a care recipient 80 with a heavier weight, so that the degree of lift of the care recipient 80 from the first care apparatus such as a bed when stopping the ascent of the care recipient 80 is uniform regardless of the care recipient 80. In this case, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the work load of the care recipient 90 on the care recipient 80 when the care recipient 80 is temporarily stopped varies greatly for each care recipient 80, thereby further reducing the burden on the caregiver 90 in assisting the movement.

[0084] In this way, when the lift device according to this embodiment assists the care recipient 80 to move from the bed 60 as the first care device to the wheelchair 70 as the second care device, the control unit 14 first operates in the upward movement control mode to lift the care recipient 80 supported on the bed 60 by operating the lifting mechanism 11, and continues to lift the care recipient 80 after a single temporary stop. When the care recipient 80 reaches a state where it is properly supported by the lift device alone, the control unit 14 switches to the power assist control mode, and moves the care recipient 80 above the wheelchair 70 under power assist control. The mode switches to a downward movement control mode, allowing the care recipient 80 to descend toward the wheelchair 70 with the assistance of the caregiver 90, and when part of the care recipient 80 is supported by the wheelchair 70 and the reduction in the load supported by the lifting mechanism 11 reaches a predetermined rate, the mode switches to an automatic descent state, allowing the care recipient 80 to descend further until the care recipient 80 reaches a state where he or she is supported only by the wheelchair 70, and it is no longer necessary for the caregiver or the like to use some kind of operating means on the mechanism in parallel with the movement of the care recipient 80 to operate the lifting mechanism 11 which moves the care recipient 80 up and down.

[0085] As a result, during the process of lifting the cared person 80 from the bed 60 until the power assist control state is reached where the caregiver can directly move the cared person 80 up and down with little effort with the assistance of the lifting mechanism 11, and during the process of moving the cared person 80 from the power assist control state to the wheelchair 70 to which the cared person 80 is to be moved, the caregiver 90 can assist the cared person 80 in moving while at the same time not having to operate the lifting mechanism 11 to activate it.In various situations where assistance is required to move the cared person 80, the caregiver 90 can take an assisting position with both hands on the cared person 80, thereby allowing the caregiver 90 to concentrate on assisting, thereby ensuring safety during the movement of the cared person 80.

[0086] Furthermore, by temporarily stopping the process of raising the cared person 80 from the bed 60, which is the first care device, and creating a situation where the cared person 80 does not move, the caregiver 90 is given an opportunity to work on the cared person 80 and their surroundings without causing any trouble. During this temporary stop, the caregiver 90 can work to resolve any problems that have become apparent during the movement up to that point regarding the support state of the cared person 80 in the sling 50, such as entanglement of clothing or twisting of the sling, or to perform work such as changing the cared person's position or releasing pressure to distribute body pressure, thereby preventing a situation where the cared person 80 is left in an inappropriate supported state and the cared person 80 is adversely affected by continuing to move.

[0087] (Second embodiment of the present invention) In the lift device of the first embodiment, the configuration is adapted to be applied to the movement of a care recipient 80 from a first care device to a second care device, with the first care device being a bed 60 and the second care device being a wheelchair 70. However, this is not limited to this, and in a second embodiment, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the lift device can also be adapted to the movement when the first care device is a wheelchair 70 and the second care device is a bed 60.

[0088] The following describes how the care recipient 80 is moved from the wheelchair 70 to the bed 60 by the lift device according to this embodiment. As a premise, the lift device 1 has a built-in battery or is connected to a commercial power source, as in the first embodiment, and is in a state where the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 can be operated by the control unit 14 without any problems in response to the operation of a caregiver or other person or a preset procedure, and the supported care recipient 80 can be raised or lowered without any difficulty.

[0089] When moving a care recipient 80 from a wheelchair 70 as the first care device to a bed 60 as the second care device, a procedure is required in which the care recipient 80 supported by the wheelchair 70 is transitioned to a state in which it is supported by a lift device 1, then the care recipient 80 is moved together with the lift device 1 from near the wheelchair 70 to near the destination bed 60, and further the care recipient 80 is transitioned from being supported by the lift device 1 to being supported by the bed 60.

[0090] When the care recipient 80 is moved from the wheelchair 70 and supported by the lift device 1, the caregiver 90 first passes the sheet-like sling 50 under the care recipient 80 who is seated in the wheelchair 70, so that the sling 50 can support the back side of the body from the back to the back of the thighs, and the string portion at the end of the sling 50 appears next to the body of the care recipient 80 so that it can be hung on both ends of the hanger portion 11c of the lifting mechanism 11.

[0091] Then, the caregiver 90 holds the handle 10c to move the entire lift device, and adjusts the position of the lift device 1 so that the hanger part 11c at the tip of the arm 11a is positioned directly above the care recipient 80. In addition, the caregiver 90 operates the raising switch 13b and the lowering switch 13c of the operating unit 13 as necessary to adjust the height of the hanger part 11c so that the sling 50 can be hung on the hanger part 11c.

[0092] The string at the end of the sling 50 is hung on the end of the hanger part 11c above the care recipient 80, and when preparations for lifting are complete, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a of the operation unit 13.

[0093] Upon receiving the first operational input to automatic control switch 13a during this movement opportunity, controller 14 activates actuator 11b of lifting mechanism 11 to tilt arm 11a upward as control in the upward movement control mode. The tilting arm 11a gradually moves the end of sling 50 hanging from hanger portion 11c upward, tensioning sling 50 that had been loose. Then, care recipient 80, supported from below by sling 50 in a tensioned state, is lifted up together with sling 50 and moved upward little by little.

[0094] As the cared person 80 supported by the sling 50 rises and the state in which the weight of the cared person 80 is supported by the wheelchair 70 transitions to a state in which the weight of the cared person 80 is supported by the sling 50, the load of the sling 50 is applied via the hanger portion 11c, and the load detected by the sensor 12 at the tip of the arm 11a increases.

[0095] Furthermore, if the caregiver 90 finds, while moving the cared person 80 upward in this manner, that continuing the movement would pose a problem, such as the cared person 80 not being properly supported by the sling 50, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, which causes the control unit 14 to interrupt control of the upward movement control mode and operate the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 in the reverse direction, returning the cared person 80 to the initial state in which he or she was supported by the wheelchair 70 before the movement.

[0096] While the cared person 80 is being moved upward, when the load detected by the sensor 12 reaches a predetermined stop reference value, for example, 294 N (30 kgf), the control unit 14 interrupts the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 and temporarily suspends the lifting of the cared person 80. This pause allows the caregiver 90 to check that the care recipient 80 is properly supported in the sling 50 and correct it if necessary.

[0097] After the caregiver 90 has completed tasks such as checking on the care recipient 80, when the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again, the control unit 14 receives the operation input to the automatic control switch 13a and resumes operation of the actuator 11b, causing the care recipient 80 to begin rising again.

[0098] After the lifting has resumed, if the caregiver 90 again finds that continuing the movement of the care recipient 80 will pose a problem while moving the care recipient 80 upward, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, and similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 14 receives the operation input to the automatic control switch 13a and interrupts the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, temporarily stopping the movement of the care recipient 80, allowing the caregiver 90 to correct the support state of the care recipient 80. Once the caregiver 90 has achieved a state where there are no problems with the movement of the care recipient 80, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again, and the control unit 14 receives the operation input to the automatic control switch 13a and resumes the operation of the actuator 11b, cancels the paused state of the movement, and resumes the lifting of the care recipient 80.

[0099] Similarly, if, during the process of moving the cared person 80 upward after the rise has resumed, a situation arises in which there is a problem not only with the movement of the cared person 80 but also with the continued state of the cared person 80 not being supported by the wheelchair 70, when the caregiver 90 operates the descent switch 13c, the control unit 14 will cease control of the upward movement control mode, temporarily stop the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, then operate the actuator 11b in the reverse direction, tilting the arm 11a downward and returning the cared person 80 to the initial state of sitting in the wheelchair 70 before movement.

[0100] As in the first embodiment, in principle, the caregiver 90 does not need to operate the operating unit 13 during the process of the care recipient 80 ascending, with the temporary suspension period in between, and therefore can concentrate on assisting the care recipient 80 to move. Unlike the situation when using a conventional lift device where the caregiver 90 has to assist the care recipient 80 by holding and operating a remote switch in his / her hand, the caregiver 90 can use both hands to assist the moving care recipient 80 (see Figure 11), which makes it easier to deal with any abnormal situations flexibly and gives the care recipient 80 a sense of security.

[0101] As the lifting device 50 and the cared person 80 continue to rise, the load detected by the sensor 12 does not change even after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, and the cared person 80 can be considered to have completely left the seat of the wheelchair 70. Then, the control unit 14 determines that the upward movement is complete and ends the control of the upward movement control mode.

[0102] At the same time, the control unit 14 starts the power assist control, and in the initial stage, recognizes and records the load detection value at this time as the weight of the care recipient 80. Then, the control unit 14 sets the recognized weight value of the care recipient 80 as the control reference value, and then operates the lifting mechanism 11 under the power assist control.

[0103] In the power assist control state, as in the first embodiment, when the caregiver 90 directly assists the care recipient 80 by moving the care recipient 80 up and down, an assisting force is applied to the care recipient 80 in the movement direction, and the control unit 14 calculates the assisting force applied by the caregiver 90 from the total load detected by the sensor 12. If the assisting force exceeds a threshold range, the control unit 14 activates the lifting mechanism 11 according to this assisting force, thereby realizing the movement of the care recipient 80 in a state where the care recipient 80 moves as if the caregiver 90 were directly trying to move the care recipient 80. In this power assist control state, the caregiver 90 adjusts the suspension height of the care recipient 80, who has left the wheelchair 70, for example, by directly pushing up or down, and then operates the handle 10c of the lift device 1 to move the entire lift device together with the suspended care recipient 80 to the desired location.

[0104] After the movement, when the care recipient 80 supported by the lift device 1 is to be lowered onto the bed 60, the caregiver 90 first moves the lift device 1 to the vicinity of the bed 60, and then adjusts the position of the lift device 1, if necessary, by moving it until the tip of the base part 10a of the main frame 10 is under the bed 60 so that at least the part of the body of the care recipient 80 above the thighs is positioned above the bed 60. After that, when the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, the control unit 14 receives the operation input to the automatic control switch and newly starts control in the downward movement control mode.

[0105] In the downward movement control mode, the control is the same as power assist control when the care recipient 80 initially moves downward. When the caregiver 90 applies a sufficient amount of assisting force to the care recipient 80 supported by the sling 50, either directly or via the hanger part 11c, the control part 14 detects this and activates the actuator 11b to tilt the arm 11a downward, thereby adjusting the height position of the care recipient 80 and bringing the care recipient 80 closer to the top surface of the bed 60 (see Figure 12).

[0106] In the downward movement control mode, when the care recipient 80 moves downward and comes into contact with the upper surface of the bed 60, with part of the care recipient's weight being supported by the bed 60, when the caregiver 90 stops applying an assisting force by, for example, releasing his or her hands that were assisting the care recipient 80, the load detected by the sensor 12 becomes smaller than before the movement. However, in the control of this downward movement control mode, when the caregiver 90 no longer applies a downward assisting force and the load detected by the sensor 12 does not change for a predetermined waiting time (e.g., one second), the control unit 14 updates the reference value for the power assist control to the load at that time. This prevents the control unit 14 from erroneously determining that an upward assisting force has been applied even if the detected load value becomes smaller than before, and the lifting mechanism 11 can be operated in response to the downward assisting force of the caregiver 90 that is applied directly or indirectly to the care recipient 80 thereafter, thereby allowing the care recipient 80 to continue moving downward.

[0107] Furthermore, when the cared for person 80 has moved downward to the point where they are in contact with the top surface of the bed 60, it is desirable for the caregiver 90 to change the orientation of the cared for person 80 together with the hanger portion 11c and the sling 50, so that the cared for person 80's entire body, including his / her legs, is positioned on the bed 60.

[0108] As the cared person 80 moves downward, the degree to which the cared person 80 is supported by the bed 60 by the lift device 1 gradually increases, and when the load detected by the sensor 12 decreases to a predetermined descent reference value set in advance, for example, 49 N (5 kgf), the control unit 14 terminates the control of operating the lifting mechanism 11 according to the assisting force, and enters a control state in which the cared person 80 is automatically lowered by activating the actuator 11 b to tilt the arm 11 a downward regardless of whether or not the caregiver 90 is providing assisting force, and moves the cared person 80 downward little by little.

[0109] If the caregiver 90 finds that continuing the movement of the cared person 80 will pose a problem while the cared person 80 is being automatically moved downward in this manner, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a, which causes the control unit 14 to temporarily stop the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, then operate the actuator 11b in the opposite direction, tilting the arm 11a upward and returning the cared person 80 to a position away from the top surface of the bed 60. When the situation around the cared person 80 improves and there is no problem with movement, the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again, which resumes control of the downward movement control mode by the control unit 14, and the control unit 14 activates the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 in response to the downward assisting force applied by the caregiver 90, causing the cared person 80 to move downward in the same manner as described above.Furthermore, when the cared person 80 comes into contact with the upper surface of the bed 60 and the load detected by the sensor 12 decreases to the predetermined amount, the system will transition to a state in which the cared person 80 is automatically moved downward in the same manner as described above.

[0110] Furthermore, if, during the process of automatically moving the cared person 80 downward, a situation arises in which there is a problem not only with the movement of the cared person 80 but also with the continued contact with the bed 60, when the caregiver 90 operates the lift switch 13b, the control unit 14 will cease control of the downward movement control mode, temporarily stop the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, and then operate the actuator 11b in the reverse direction, tilting the arm 11a upward and returning the cared person 80 to the position above the bed 60 before the movement in the downward movement control mode.

[0111] As the state of automatically lowering the cared person 80 and gradually moving downward continues, the cared person 80 is completely supported by the bed 60, the load detected by the sensor 12 becomes almost zero, and when this state is maintained even after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the control unit 14 determines that the movement of the cared person 80 has been completed, stops the operation of the actuator 11b for the control related to the automatic lowering, and ends the control of the downward movement control mode.

[0112] After the control unit 14 stops operating the actuator 11b, the caregiver 90 removes the string of the sling 50 from the hanger part 11c above the care recipient 80 who has landed on the bed 60, thereby releasing the care recipient 80 from the lift device 1. Thereafter, the caregiver 90 operates the lift switch 13b of the operation unit 13 to raise the hanger part 11c as necessary, and further moves the entire lift device 1 so that it does not interfere with work on the care recipient 80 who is placed on the bed 60, and then removes the sling 50 remaining below the care recipient 80, allowing the care recipient 80 to lie on his / her back on the bed 60.

[0113] In this way, in the case of the lift device of this embodiment, even in the case where the cared person 80 moves from the wheelchair 70 as the first care device to the bed 60 as the second care device, the control unit 14 operates in the upward movement control mode to raise the cared person 80 supported on the wheelchair 70 by operating the lifting mechanism 11, and continues to raise the cared person 80 after one temporary stop.When the cared person 80 reaches a state where it is properly supported by the lift device alone, the control unit 14 switches to the power assist control mode and moves the cared person 80 above the bed 60 under power assist control, and then the control unit 14 switches to the downward movement control mode to allow the cared person 80 to descend toward the bed 60 with the assistance of the caregiver 90, and then switches to the automatic lowering mode to further lower the cared person 80 until the cared person 80 reaches a state where he or she is supported by the bed 60 alone, eliminating the need for the caregiver or the like to operate any operating means in parallel with the up and down movement of the cared person 80.

[0114] As a result, during the process of lifting the cared person 80 from the wheelchair 70 until the power assist control state is reached where the carer 90 can directly move the cared person 80 up and down with the assistance of the lifting mechanism 11, and during the process of getting the cared person 80 to the bed 60 from the power assist control state, the carer 90 can assist the cared person 80 in moving without having to operate the lifting mechanism 11 at the same time.In various situations where assistance is required for the cared person 80 to move, the carer 90 can take an assisting position with both hands on the cared person 80, allowing him or her to concentrate on assisting, thereby ensuring safety during the movement of the cared person 80.

[0115] (Third embodiment of the present invention) In the lift device according to the first embodiment, the control unit 14 is configured to automatically start the power assist control including measuring the body weight and setting the reference value of the body weight following the control of the upward movement control mode when the control of the upward movement control mode ends. However, this is not limited to this, and as a third embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, a power assist switch 13d may be provided to instruct the control unit 14 to start the power assist control, and the control unit 14 may start the power assist control based on the operation of the power assist switch 13d by a caregiver or the like at any timing after the upward movement control mode ends.

[0116] Specifically, as the lifting device 50 and the cared person 80 continue to rise in the upward movement control mode, the load detected by the sensor 12 does not change even after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, and the cared person 80 can be considered to have completely left the top surface of the bed 60. Then, the control unit 14 terminates the control of the upward movement control mode, but unlike the first embodiment, it does not automatically start the power assist control, and the lifting mechanism 11 remains operable, waiting for operation by a caregiver or the like.

[0117] Until the power assist switch 13d is operated, the state in which the cared person 80 is positioned above the bed is maintained without transitioning to a new control state, and the caregiver 90 can move the cared person 80 together with the sling 50 and hanger part 11c to change the orientation relative to the arm 11a, or operate the up switch 13b or the down switch 13c of the operating part 13 to activate the lifting mechanism 11 and move the position of the cared person 80 up or down to adjust it.

[0118] After adjusting the position and orientation of the care recipient 80 as necessary, the caregiver 90 operates the power assist switch 13d, and the control unit 14 receives the operation input to this power assist switch 13d and starts power assist control (see Figure 14), recognizes and records the load detection value at the start of this control as the weight of the care recipient 80, and sets this weight value as the reference value for control.

[0119] After this, as in the first embodiment, in the power assist control state, when the caregiver 90 directly assists the care recipient 80 by moving the care recipient 80 up and down, an assisting force is applied to the care recipient 80 in the direction of movement, the control unit 14 calculates the assisting force applied by the caregiver 90 from the total load detected by the sensor 12, and if the assisting force is greater than the threshold range, the lifting mechanism 11 is activated according to this assisting force, and the care recipient 80 is moved in a state as if the caregiver 90 were directly moving the care recipient 80 through an operation to move the care recipient 80 directly.

[0120] When the control unit 14 terminates control of the upward movement control mode, depending on the characteristics of the first care appliance, for example, the repulsive force of the bed, the amount of load detected by the sensor 12 may remain constant even when the care recipient 80 has not completely left the top surface of the care appliance, causing the control unit 14 to terminate control of the upward movement control mode.

[0121] In this way, when the control of the upward movement control mode ends before the care recipient 80 has completely left the top surface of the care apparatus, if the control unit 14 starts the power assist control as in the first embodiment, for example, the control unit 14 may mistake the sudden change in the load detection value at the moment the care recipient 80 is moved and completely removed from the top surface of the care apparatus as the addition of an assist force, and the lifting mechanism 11 may end up moving the care recipient 80 unintentionally, requiring the caregiver 90 to perform complex tasks to return the state to a state where it is in accordance with the caregiver's 90's original movement assistance operation.

[0122] In response to this, by having the control unit 14 start power assist control based on the operation of the power assist switch 13d, it is possible to provide an opportunity for the caregiver 90 to perform preparatory work by operating the lifting switch 13b or the like until the care recipient 80 is completely separated from the upper surface of the device before operating the power assist switch 13d to switch the control unit 14 into the power assist control state. In this way, if the caregiver or the like performs the necessary work before operating the power assist switch 13d, the caregiver 90 can smoothly and easily assist the movement of the care recipient 80 with the assistance of the lifting mechanism 11 when the power assist control is started by operating the power assist switch 13d thereafter.

[0123] (Fourth embodiment of the present invention) In the lift device of the first embodiment, the control unit 14, in the upward movement control mode, operates the lifting mechanism 11 to raise the sling 50 carrying the cared person 80, and interrupts the operation of the lifting mechanism 11 to temporarily suspend the lifting once to ensure that the caregiver 90 can perform tasks such as adjusting the support state of the cared person 80 by the sling 50. Once a condition is achieved where there are no problems with the movement of the cared person 80, the control unit 14 operates the lifting mechanism 11 in response to an operation by the caregiver 90, and resumes the lifting of the cared person 80. However, without being limited to this, the control unit 14 can also be configured to interrupt the operation of the lifting mechanism 11 to temporarily suspend the lifting multiple times while raising the cared person 80 in the upward movement control mode.

[0124] Furthermore, when the control unit resumes the lifting of the care recipient 80 from the paused state, the configuration is not limited to the control unit 14 performing control to resume the lifting after receiving an operation input to the automatic control switch 13a, but as shown in Fig. 15, the control unit 14 can be configured to monitor changes in the load detected by the sensor 12 in the paused state, and when it determines that a transition has occurred to a state in which no changes in the load, which indicates the completion of the work of the caregiver 90, are occurring, automatically operate the lifting mechanism 11 and perform control to resume the lifting of the care recipient 80. In other words, this control means that the control unit 14 continues the paused state of the lifting of the care recipient in the upward movement control mode while a change in the load accompanying the execution of the specified care assistance task by the caregiver is detected by a detection means such as a sensor.

[0125] The control of the upward movement control mode of the control unit in this embodiment will be described below. Movements by each control other than the upward movement control mode are the same as those in the first embodiment, and so descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0126] When caregiver 90 operates automatic control switch 13a of operation unit 13 when preparations are complete to lift care recipient 80, controller 14, similar to the previous embodiment, receives an operation input to automatic control switch 13a and operates actuator 11b of lifting mechanism 11 as control in the upward movement control mode (see FIG. 15), thereby tilting arm 11a upward. The tilting arm 11a gradually moves the end of sling 50 hanging on hanger portion 11c upward, tensioning sling 50 that was previously loose.

[0127] When the sling 50 is in a tensed state, the load based on the weight of the care recipient 80 is transmitted to the arm 11a via the sling 50 and the hanger part 11c, and the load detected by the sensor 12 at the tip of the arm gradually increases.

[0128] In this state, when the load detected by the sensor 12 reaches a predetermined first stop reference value, for example, 49 to 98 N (5 to 10 kgf), the control unit 14 stops the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11 and temporarily suspends the lifting of the care recipient 80.

[0129] In this paused state, the caregiver 90 can check that the string at the end of the sling 50 is properly hooked onto the hanger part 11c and that there are no problems such as the string becoming entangled around the care recipient 80, and can take steps to correct this if necessary.

[0130] After the temporary suspension, the control unit 14 monitors, based on the load detection output of the sensor 12, whether a load change has occurred due to vibrations or the like caused by the work of the caregiver 90 on the lifting device 50 or the person being cared for 80, and the lifting mechanism 11 continues to be temporarily suspended while the caregiver 90 is working and a load change is occurring.

[0131] Then, when the control unit 14 determines that no change in load has occurred for a predetermined waiting time, i.e., that the caregiver 90 has not been performing any work for the waiting time, it determines that the caregiver 90 has finished working, and resumes operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, causing the lifting of the care recipient 80 to begin again.

[0132] After this ascent resumes, the tilting of arm 11a causes care recipient 80 supported by sling 50 to rise, and the weight of care recipient 80 gradually transitions from being supported by bed 60 or wheelchair 70 to being supported by sling 50, increasing the load detected by sensor 12. When the load detected by sensor 12 reaches a preset second stop reference value, for example, 294 N (30 kgf), control unit 14 again stops the operation of actuator 11b of hoisting mechanism 11, temporarily suspending the ascent of care recipient 80.

[0133] During this second pause, the caregiver 90 can check whether the care recipient 80 is properly supported by the sling 50 without any bias, whether the seat part of the sling 50 is properly in contact with the caregiver's body, etc., and can make any necessary corrections.

[0134] Even during this second temporary suspension state, the control unit 14 monitors, based on the load detection output from the sensor 12, whether a load change occurs due to vibrations or the like caused by the caregiver 90's work on the lifting device 50 or the person being cared for 80, and continues the temporary suspension state of the lifting mechanism 11 while a load change occurs due to the caregiver 90 performing some work.

[0135] Then, when the control unit 14 determines that the caregiver 90 continues not to work and that no change in load has occurred over the waiting time, it determines that the caregiver 90 has finished working, resumes operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, and the lifting of the care recipient 80 begins again.

[0136] After this, as in the first embodiment, the lifting of the sling 50 and the cared person 80 continues, and finally, when the load detected by the sensor 12 does not change for a predetermined time and the cared person 80 can be considered to have moved away from the upper surface of the bed 60 or the wheelchair 70, the control unit 14 determines that the movement is complete and ends the control of the upward movement control mode.

[0137] If the caregiver 90 determines that there is a problem with continuing the movement of the care recipient 80 while moving the care recipient 80 upward after the lifting has resumed after each temporary suspension and operates the automatic control switch 13a or the lowering switch 13c, the control unit 14 may receive the operation input and interrupt the operation of the actuator 11b of the lifting mechanism 11, thereby temporarily stopping the movement of the care recipient 80, as in the above embodiment. Of these, if the automatic control switch 13a is operated, the control unit continues the temporary suspension state until the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a again. After operating the automatic control switch again, the control unit resumes the operation of the actuator 11b, cancels the temporary suspension state of the movement, and resumes the lifting related to the care recipient 80 getting out of bed. On the other hand, when the lowering switch 13c is operated, the upward movement control mode is stopped and the control unit 14 operates the actuator 11b in the reverse direction to return the cared person 80 to the initial state in which he or she was supported by the bed 60 or wheelchair 70 before the movement.

[0138] (Fifth embodiment of the present invention) In the lift device according to the first embodiment, when the caregiver 90 operates the automatic control switch 13a during power assist control, the control unit 14 receives an operation input to this automatic control switch 13a and uniformly switches to the downward movement control mode. However, in addition to this, if the control unit is in the power assist control state and the caregiver is not assisting the care recipient and the lifting mechanism is not operating, and receives an operation input to the automatic control switch, the control unit switches to the downward movement control mode. On the other hand, if the control unit is in the same power assist control state and receives an operation input to the automatic control switch while the lifting mechanism is operating to move the care recipient, the control unit can temporarily stop the power assist control, and after acquiring and setting a new load equivalent to the weight of the care recipient as the reference value for the load used to calculate the assist force, resume the power assist control.

[0139] In this case, when moving under power assist control, for example, when the care recipient is already positioned above the second care device and no movement other than lowering the care recipient is necessary, the caregiver can operate the automatic control switch at the desired timing to transition the control unit to downward movement control mode, allowing the care recipient to be moved smoothly and quickly to the second care device.

[0140] Furthermore, if an incorrect reference value is set, for example, because the caregiver's assist force for operating the care recipient is recognized as part of the care recipient's static load, and the control unit erroneously determines that an assist force is being applied due to the discrepancy between the incorrect reference value and the true load when the caregiver is not performing any movement assistance operations, and activates the lifting mechanism, causing the care recipient to move inappropriately, the caregiver can immediately interrupt the power assist control by operating the automatic control switch, thereby eliminating the incorrect load reference value set by the control unit, making it easier to ensure the accuracy and safety of the care recipient's movement under power assist control.In addition, there is no need to provide a separate operating means such as a switch to stop the power assist control and then resume control after normalization, thereby reducing the cost of the device.

[0141] Although the lift device in each of the above embodiments is a movable floor-traveling type, it is not limited to this, and as long as it can move a care recipient suspended and supported by a lifting mechanism such as an arm from the first care appliance to the second care appliance, it may be a device that can move the entire main frame such as the floor-traveling type, or a fixed-installation type lift device in which the main frame consists of a movable part and a fixed part, and the movable part of the main frame equipped with the lifting mechanism is moved or rotated within a movable range relative to the fixed part of the main frame to move the care recipient horizontally, for example, a stationary type lift device in which the fixed part of the main frame is fixed to the bedside, etc., or a ceiling-traveling type lift device in which the fixed part of the main frame is installed on the ceiling and the movable part of the main frame slides relative to this fixed part. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 1 Lifting device 10 Main frame 10a Base part 10b Standing part 10c handlebars 11 Lifting mechanism 11a Arm 11b Actuator 11c Hanger section 12 sensors 13 Control section 13a Automatic control switch 13b Ascending switch 13c Descending switch 13d Power assist switch 14 Control Unit 50 Lifting equipment 60 beds 70 Wheelchair 80 Care recipients 90 Caregivers

Claims

1. A care lift device comprising: a main body frame; a lifting mechanism provided on the main body frame for suspending and lowering a lifting device carrying a care recipient; a detection means for detecting a load applied to the lifting mechanism; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the lifting mechanism, wherein the control unit is capable of executing power assist control to determine the assisting force applied to the care recipient from the caregiver based on the load detected by the detection means and to operate the lifting mechanism in accordance with the obtained assisting force, thereby enabling the care recipient to be moved from a predetermined first care appliance to a second care appliance; An operation unit having one or more switches, including at least an automatic control switch that gives a predetermined control instruction to the control unit, The control unit When an initial operation input is received by the automatic control switch, the upward movement control mode is set to operate the lifting mechanism for the care recipient positioned on the first care appliance, raising the sling carrying the care recipient, and interrupting the operation of the lifting mechanism one or more times during the raising to temporarily suspend the raising, while continuing to raise the care recipient; When the load detected by the detection means does not increase or change for a predetermined time due to the transition of the care recipient from the first care implement due to the lifting, the lifting mechanism stops lifting the lifting tool, the upward movement control mode is terminated, and the lifting mechanism is transitioned to the power assist control state automatically or in response to an operation input to a predetermined switch, When a new operation input is received to the automatic control switch in the power assist control state, the system switches to a downward movement control mode, allowing the care recipient to descend by power assist control according to the downward assist force applied to the care recipient, and further, when the load detected by the detection means decreases to a predetermined value as the care recipient continues to descend, the system switches to a state in which the lifting mechanism is activated to automatically lower the care recipient without relying on the assist force; When the load detected by the detecting means does not decrease or change for a predetermined time in accordance with the transition of the care recipient to a state supported by the second care implement due to the descent, the operation of the lifting mechanism is stopped and the downward movement control mode is ended. A lifting device characterized by:

2. 2. The lift device according to claim 1, The control unit temporarily stops the lifting of the care recipient in the upward movement control mode when the load detection value of the detection means reaches a predetermined reference value. A lifting device characterized by:

3. 3. The lift device according to claim 2, The control unit sets a reference value of a load detection value related to a timing to temporarily suspend the ascent of the care recipient in the upward movement control mode based on a weight of the care recipient detected in advance. A lifting device characterized by:

4. 4. The lift device according to claim 1, When the control unit receives an operation input to the automatic control switch in a power assist control state and in a situation where the caregiver is not performing an assist operation for the care recipient and the lifting mechanism is not being operated, the control unit shifts to a downward movement control mode. A lifting device characterized by:

Images