Four-legged animal car chair

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a wheelchair which is for a four-legged animal and which is less likely to fall over by moderating the inclination of a disabled limb-side holder due to a state change of a road surface or the body, has a sense of security, has high safety, and allows stress-free walking based on free will. [Solution] The present invention comprises: a disabled limb-side holder 3; at least one pair of left and right wheel arms 5 that are provided at left and right positions of the disabled limb-side holder 3 and pivotally support wheels 6; and a wheel lifting / lowering mechanism 7 that independently changes the relative heights of the wheels 6 with respect to the disabled limb-side holder 3 so as to moderate the inclination when the mounted disabled limb-side holder 3 is inclined due to a state change of the road surface or the body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheelchair for quadruped animals used for quadruped animals whose walking has become difficult due to illness, accident, or the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, wheelchairs for quadruped animals have been proposed for quadruped animals whose walking has become difficult due to illness, accident, or the like. For example, Japanese Patent No. 7300787 discloses a wheelchair for quadruped animals that, when the wheels stop, moves the main body frame downward to shift to a sitting position, and when the wheels rotate, moves the main body frame upward to enable a shift to a standing position (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventional wheelchairs for quadruped animals, including the wheelchair for quadruped animals described in Patent Document 1, have the left and right wheels always at the same height. For this reason, when inclined in the left - right direction due to unevenness of the ground during walking, there is a problem that the balance is lost and it is easy to roll over. Therefore, there are some that widen the distance between the left and right wheels to make it difficult to roll over, but since it becomes easier to collide with surrounding obstacles, there is a problem that it gives a great mental stress to the quadruped animal.

[0005] Furthermore, according to the wheelchair for quadrupedal animals described in Patent Document 1, the main frame always moves upward while walking. Therefore, when tilting forward or backward on a downhill slope, it can cause fear in quadrupedal animals and poses a high risk of them actually falling off. On the other hand, when the wheelchair for quadrupedal animals stops, the main frame always moves downward. Therefore, even if the quadrupedal animal does not intend to rest, it is forced into a seated position, which interferes with movement based on free will and causes mental stress.

[0006] This invention was made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a wheelchair for quadrupedal animals that reduces the tilt of the holder on the side of the disabled limb due to changes in the road surface and the condition of the body, making it less likely to tip over, and that provides a sense of security, high safety, and allows for stress-free walking based on free will. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The wheelchair for quadrupedal animals according to the present invention solves the problems of reducing the tilt of the disabled limb holder due to changes in the road surface or the condition of the body, making it less likely to tip over, providing a sense of security and high safety, and enabling stress-free walking based on free will, and comprises a disabled limb holder attached to the disabled limb side of the body of the quadrupedal animal, a pair or more wheel arms provided on the left and right positions of the disabled limb holder and pivotally supporting the wheels so that they can rotate, and a wheel lifting mechanism that independently changes the relative height of each wheel with respect to the disabled limb holder so as to mitigate the tilt when the attached disabled limb holder tilts due to changes in the road surface or the condition of the body.

[0008] Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of acquiring command signals from a control unit or an external smartphone or remote controller and reliably mitigating the tilt of the disabled limb holder, the wheel lifting mechanism may include an actuator provided for each wheel arm that drives the wheel arm according to a specified drive direction and drive amount, and a command signal acquisition unit that acquires a command signal to mitigate the tilt of the disabled limb holder by moving each wheel arm up and down, taking into account the drive direction and drive amount of each actuator.

[0009] Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of accurately and automatically calculating the driving direction and driving amount of each actuator that can mitigate the tilt of the holder on the injured limb side, the present invention may include a tilt sensor that detects the tilt of the holder on the injured limb side, and a control unit that calculates the driving direction and driving amount of each actuator based on the detection signal output from the tilt sensor and outputs the command signal to the command signal acquisition unit.

[0010] Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of automatically and independently returning a quadrupedal animal that has fallen over and is lying on its side to an upright position, the invention may have a fall recovery mechanism that includes a pair of assist bars that are extendable to the right and left, respectively, relative to the holder on the side of the injured limb, and when the quadrupedal animal falls over and is lying on its side, the assist bar on the road surface side is extended and brought into contact with the road surface, and the reaction force returns the quadrupedal animal to an upright position.

[0011] Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of making it easier to return a quadrupedal animal that has fallen over and is lying on its side to an upright position, the control unit may drive the actuator to move each of the wheel arms upward before the fall recovery mechanism extends the assist bar. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the tilt of the holder on the side of the injured limb due to changes in the road surface or the condition of the torso is mitigated, making it less likely to fall, and it provides a sense of security and high safety, allowing for stress-free walking based on free will. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows a quadrupedal animal fitted with the first embodiment of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the operation of the tipping recovery mechanism of this first embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the conditions when walking on a road surface that slopes from side to side: (a) before the slope is reduced, and (b) after the slope is reduced. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the conditions when walking on a road surface that is sloped in the front-to-back direction: (a) before the slope is reduced, and (b) after the slope is reduced. [Figure 5] This diagram shows (a) the state before the tilt is eased and (b) the state after the tilt is eased, when the user takes a break on their own. [Figure 6] This figure shows (a) the state before the tilt is eased and (b) the state after the tilt is eased, when the object stands up on its own. [Figure 7] This figure shows how a quadrupedal animal returns from a fallen state to an upright state using the fall recovery mechanism of this first embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows a quadruped animal fitted with a second embodiment of the quadrupedal wheelchair according to the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows the inside of the gearbox of this second embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows a quadruped animal fitted with a third embodiment of the quadrupedal wheelchair according to the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows the inside of the gearbox of this third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a wheelchair for quadruped animals according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the quadruped animal wheelchair 1A of the first embodiment is used for a quadruped animal with a hind limb being a disabled limb. In this first embodiment, a dog will be illustrated and described as the quadruped animal, but it is not limited thereto, and the present invention is applicable to all quadruped animals that can walk on four legs. Also, in the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the quadruped animal will be used to indicate the direction.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the quadruped animal wheelchair 1A of the first embodiment mainly includes a healthy limb side holder 2 attached to the healthy limb side body of the quadruped animal, a disabled limb side holder 3 attached to the disabled limb side body of the quadruped animal, a connecting member 4 connecting the healthy limb side holder 2 and the disabled limb side holder 3, a pair of wheel arms 5, 5 provided at the left and right positions of the disabled limb side holder 3, a wheel lifting mechanism 7 for independently changing the relative height of each wheel 6 with respect to the disabled limb side holder 3, and a tipping recovery mechanism 8 for returning the fallen quadruped animal to a standing state. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

[0017] The healthy limb side holder 2 is attached to the healthy limb side body of the quadruped animal. In this first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the healthy limb side holder 2 includes a mounting portion 21 made of a mesh fabric or the like that wraps around the healthy limb side body of the quadruped animal, an arch-shaped neck frame 22 provided above the mounting portion 21 and arranged around the neck of the quadruped animal, and an arch-shaped back frame​​​The injured limb holder 3 is attached to the injured limb side of the torso of a quadruped. In this first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the injured limb holder 3 includes a pair of horizontal frames 31, 31 provided substantially horizontally along both sides of the torso of the quadruped, a saddle frame 32 connected to the front end of each horizontal frame 31 to support the abdomen of the quadruped and positioned around the tail, and a waist frame 33 connecting the front ends of the saddle frames 32 so as to span across the waist.

[0019] The connecting member 4 connects the holder 2 on the healthy limb side and the holder 3 on the injured limb side. In this first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the connecting members 4 are provided in pairs to connect the holder 2 on the healthy limb side and the holder 3 on the injured limb side at left and right positions, respectively. Furthermore, each connecting member 4 is configured to be able to extend and retract independently in the front-to-back direction so that the quadruped animal can freely bend its body from side to side. Specifically, each connecting member 4 has a hinge structure in which two or more plates are connected in a zigzag pattern by hinge pins, and the hinge pins are provided to be aligned approximately vertically.

[0020] The wheel arm 5 pivotally supports the wheel 6. In this first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the wheel arms 5 are provided in pairs, left and right, at the left and right positions of the disabled limb holder 3. The upper end of each wheel arm 5 is pivotably provided at the connection point between the connecting member 4 and the disabled limb holder 3, and the wheel 6 is pivotally supported at its lower end.

[0021] Furthermore, in this first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the upper end of a limb cover 51, which is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape from plastic or the like and holds the limb that is disabled, is fixed to the lower part of the saddle frame 32. As a result, each limb cover 51 can move freely up and down while hanging from the saddle frame 32. Note that each limb cover 51 may be fixed anywhere as long as it can move freely up and down. For example, the limb covers 51 may be fixed to the rotation axis of each wheel 6 so that they move up and down independently of each other in accordance with the up and down movement of each wheel 6.

[0022] The wheel lifting mechanism 7 independently changes the relative height of each wheel 6 with respect to the disabled limb holder 3. In this first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the wheel lifting mechanism 7 includes an actuator 71 provided for each wheel arm 5 that drives each wheel arm 5, a tilt sensor 72 that detects the tilt of the disabled limb holder 3, a control unit 73 that calculates the driving direction and amount of each actuator 71 based on the detection signal output from the tilt sensor 72, and a command signal acquisition unit 74 that acquires a command signal including the driving direction and amount of each actuator 71.

[0023] In this first embodiment, the actuator 71 is composed of a linear actuator consisting of a lead screw 71a and a stepping motor 71b, which drives the wheel arm 5 according to a specified driving direction and amount. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the actuator 71 has a slider 75 fixed to the lead screw 71a and slidable along the horizontal frame 31, and a connecting frame 76 that connects the slider 75 to the wheel arm 5.

[0024] In this configuration, when the stepping motor 71b drives the slider 75 fixed to the lead screw 71a forward by a predetermined amount, the connecting frame 76 swings the wheel arm 5 downward by that amount, causing the wheel 6 to move to a lower relative height relative to the disabled limb holder 3. On the other hand, when the stepping motor 71b drives the slider 75 fixed to the lead screw 71a backward by a predetermined amount, the connecting frame 76 swings the wheel arm 5 upward by that amount, causing the wheel 6 to move to a higher relative height relative to the disabled limb holder 3.

[0025] The stepping motor 71b is housed in the actuator box 77 along with the control unit 73, command signal acquisition unit 74, and power supply. The tilt sensor 72 is fixed to the saddle frame 32 and outputs a detection signal indicating the tilt when the injured limb holder 3, which is attached by the quadruped body, tilts in the front-to-back direction (tilt relative to the left-to-right axis) or left-to-right direction (tilt relative to the front-to-back axis) due to changes in the road surface or the body's condition. The tilt sensor 72 can also detect if the quadruped animal has fallen over and is in a lying-down position based on the detected tilt. Preferably, the tilt sensor 72 is mounted on the centerline of the quadruped animal's body and in a location that does not interfere with its movement.

[0026] The control unit 73 is configured as a functional unit executed by the CPU (Central Processing Unit), and calculates the drive direction and drive amount of each actuator 71 that can mitigate the tilt of the disabled limb holder 3 based on the detection signal output from the tilt sensor 72. It then outputs a command signal including the drive direction and drive amount of each actuator 71 to the command signal acquisition unit 74.

[0027] The command signal acquisition unit 74 is configured as a functional unit executed by the CPU, and acquires command signals output from the control unit 73 and commands the actuators 71 to specify the drive direction and drive amount included in the command signal. In other words, the command signal includes the drive direction and drive amount of each actuator 71, and is a signal to alleviate the tilt of the disabled limb holder 3 by causing each wheel arm 5 to move up and down by the actuators 71.

[0028] In this first embodiment, the control unit 73 and the command signal acquisition unit 74 are configured by a CPU, and the command signal acquisition unit 74 acquires command signals generated by the control unit 73. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the command signal acquisition unit 74 may be configured by a wireless receiver, and command signals may be acquired from an external device such as a smartphone or remote controller.

[0029] In the case of a smartphone, the system captures images of a walking quadrupedal animal, analyzes its posture in real time, and if tilting occurs, generates a command signal to mitigate the tilt and transmits it to the command signal acquisition unit 74. In the case of a remote controller, each wheel 6 is provided with an operation button (up / down button, etc.), and the system is configured to send a command signal that drives the actuator 71 in the direction corresponding to the operation button only while the operation button is pressed.

[0030] With the remote controller described above, the owner or other person can operate the control buttons while watching the quadrupedal animal walking, and a command signal to alleviate the tilt of the quadrupedal animal will be sent to the command signal acquisition unit 74. Furthermore, if the owner is familiar with the specific gestures and habits of the quadrupedal animal, it will be possible to output the appropriate command signal at the appropriate time, such as raising the wheel arm 5 to encourage the animal to rest when it looks like it wants to sit (with its buttocks on the ground).

[0031] The fall recovery mechanism 8 is used to return a fallen quadrupedal animal to an upright position. In this first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the fall recovery mechanism 8 includes a pair of assist bars 81, 81 that are extendable to the right and left relative to the holder 3 on the injured limb side, an assist box 82 that houses these assist bars 81, and a drive motor 83 that drives each assist bar 81 to extend and retract, and this drive motor 83 is controlled by the control unit 73.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, both ends of a wire 84 are fixed to the tip and base of the assist bar 81, respectively, and this wire 84 is wound around winding shafts 85 and the rotation shaft 86 of the drive motor 83, which are provided at both ends inside the assist box 82. As a result, when the drive motor 83 is rotated forward or backward, the wire 84 is pulled in either direction, causing the assist bar 81 to extend and retract relative to the assist box 82.

[0033] Then, when the tilt sensor 72 detects that the quadrupedal animal has fallen over and is lying on its side, the control unit 73 first drives the actuator 71 to move each wheel arm 5 upward. After that, the control unit 73 drives the drive motor 83 to extend the assist bar 81 that is on the road surface side and bring it into contact with the road surface, and the reaction force returns the quadrupedal animal to an upright position. Furthermore, after extending the assist bar 81, the control unit 73 drives the actuator 71 to move each wheel arm 5 downward.

[0034] Next, the operation of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair 1A of this first embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings. Note that Figures 3 to 7 show a simplified representation of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair 1A.

[0035] When a quadrupedal animal equipped with the quadrupedal wheelchair 1A of this first embodiment is walking, if the road surface changes to one-sided inclination with respect to the front-rear axis, as shown in Figure 3(a), the tilt sensor 72 detects the inclination and outputs it to the control unit 73. The control unit 73, having received the detection signal from the tilt sensor 72, calculates the driving direction and amount of each actuator 71 so as to mitigate the inclination of the disabled limb holder 3, that is, so that the left wheel 6 is lowered and the right wheel 6 is raised, and outputs a command signal including these to the command signal acquisition unit 74.

[0036] When the command signal acquisition unit 74 receives a command signal from the control unit 73, it commands the actuator 71 to specify the drive direction and drive amount included in the command signal. As a result, the actuator 71 moves each wheel arm 5 up and down in the drive direction and drive amount specified by the command signal, thereby mitigating the tilt of the disabled limb holder 3, as shown in Figure 3(b). Therefore, quadruped animals can walk stably without losing their balance and are less likely to fall over. In addition, since there is no need to widen the distance between each wheel 6, collisions with surrounding obstacles are less likely, reducing the mental stress on the quadruped animal.

[0037] Furthermore, when a quadrupedal animal equipped with the quadrupedal wheelchair 1A of this first embodiment is walking, if the road surface changes to one that is inclined in the front-rear direction with respect to the left-right axis (downhill slope), as shown in Figure 4(a), the inclination sensor 72 detects the inclination and outputs it to the control unit 73. As a result, the control unit 73 calculates the driving direction and amount of each actuator 71 so as to mitigate the inclination of the disabled limb holder 3, that is, so that the wheels 6 on both sides are raised, and outputs a command signal including these to the command signal acquisition unit 74.

[0038] As a result, the actuator 71 lifts each wheel arm 5, and the tilt of the holder 3 on the injured limb side is reduced, as shown in Figure 4(b). Therefore, the forward leaning posture of quadrupedal animals on downhill slopes is reduced, eliminating the fear of falling and providing a sense of security, thus improving safety. On the other hand, the backward leaning posture on uphill slopes is reduced, so that weight is not placed too heavily on the injured limb side, and weight is also distributed to the healthy limb (forelimb). Therefore, it becomes easier to transmit the force of the claws and soles of the healthy limbs to the ground, making it easier for quadrupedal animals to walk uphill.

[0039] Furthermore, when a quadruped animal rests of its own volition, it attempts to assume a forward-leaning posture by folding its healthy limbs (forelimbs), as shown in Figure 5(a). As a result, the torso changes to a forward-leaning posture, and the tilt sensor 72 detects this tilt and outputs a signal to the control unit 73. The control unit 73 then calculates the driving direction and amount of each actuator 71 so as to mitigate the tilt of the holder 3 on the injured limb side, that is, so that the wheels 6 on both sides are raised, and outputs a command signal including these to the command signal acquisition unit 74. As a result, the actuators 71 lift each wheel arm 5 in accordance with the resting motion of the quadruped animal, so as shown in Figure 5(b), the animal can assume a resting position using only its own strength without the help of its owner or others.

[0040] On the other hand, when a quadruped animal stands up of its own volition, it extends its healthy limbs (forelimbs), as shown in Figure 6(a). This causes the body to tilt backward, and the tilt sensor 72 detects this tilt and outputs a signal to the control unit 73. The control unit 73 then calculates the driving direction and amount of each actuator 71 so as to mitigate the tilt of the holder 3 on the injured limb side, that is, so that the wheels 6 on both sides are lowered, and outputs a command signal including these to the command signal acquisition unit 74. As a result, the actuators 71 push down each wheel arm 5 in accordance with the quadruped animal's standing-up movement, allowing it to stand up on its own without the help of its owner or others, as shown in Figure 6(b).

[0041] Next, the operation of the fall recovery mechanism 8 will be explained. When a quadrupedal animal wearing the quadrupedal wheelchair 1A of this first embodiment falls over and ends up in a lateral position, it thrashes around with its abdomen slightly upward, as shown in Figure 7(a). At this time, the healthy limb (forelimb) on the road surface side, which would be the trigger for getting up, is on the abdominal side, so it can only struggle in that position. This is because, in order for a quadrupedal animal to stand up from a lateral position, its chest needs to be facing the road surface.

[0042] Therefore, when the tilt sensor 72 detects that the vehicle is in a lying-down position, the fall recovery mechanism 8, as shown in Figure 7(b), first drives the actuator 71 to lift each wheel arm 5 upward and move them to about waist height. This puts the quadrupedal animal in a position where it can easily rotate its body around the anterior-posterior axis.

[0043] Next, the control unit 73 drives the drive motor 83 to extend the assist bar 81 that is facing the road surface. As a result, as shown in Figure 7(c), the assist bar 81 comes into contact with and presses against the road surface, and as shown in Figure 7(d), the reaction force causes the torso of the quadruped to rotate around the anterior-posterior axis, and the abdomen, which was slightly facing upward, turns sideways.

[0044] Furthermore, as the assist bar 81 extends, the posture of the quadrupedal wheelchair 1A approaches the pre-tipping state, as shown in Figure 7(e). This allows the quadrupedal animal to move its healthy limb (left forelimb) on the road side toward the tipping side (right side in Figure 7) relative to its torso, as shown in Figure 7(f), resulting in the torso (upper body) on the healthy limb side lying prone, as shown in Figure 7(g). Finally, as shown in Figure 7(g), when the control unit 73 drives the actuator 71 to lower both wheel arms 5, the torso (lower body) on the injured limb side lifts up, as shown in Figure 7(i), allowing the quadrupedal animal to automatically and independently return to an upright position.

[0045] In this first embodiment, as described above, to facilitate the return of the quadrupedal animal to an upright position, each wheel arm 5 is moved upward before extending the assist bar 81, and then moved downward after extending the assist bar 81. However, this action is not necessarily required if the animal can return to an upright position using only the assist bar 81. Also, since the animal may want to rest in a prone position after the healthy limb side of the torso (upper body) has been placed down (Figure 7(g)), moving each wheel arm 5 downward is not essential.

[0046] According to this first embodiment of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair 1A of the present invention, as described above, the following effects are achieved. 1. It reduces the inclination of the holder 3 on the side of the injured limb due to changes in the road surface or torso conditions, making falls less likely, and also provides a sense of security, high safety, and allows for stress-free walking based on free will. 2. Command signals can be obtained from the control unit 73 or an external device, and the tilt of the holder 3 on the affected limb side can be reliably mitigated. 3. The driving direction and amount of each actuator 71 that can mitigate the tilt of the holder 3 on the injured limb side can be accurately and automatically calculated. 4. It can automatically and independently return a quadrupedal animal that has fallen and is lying on its side to an upright position. 5. It can make it easier to return a quadrupedal animal that has fallen and is lying on its side to an upright position. 6. The animal can assume a resting position and stand up from that position on its own, without the help of its owner or others. 7. Since there is no need to widen the distance between the wheels 6, collisions with surrounding obstacles are less likely while walking, reducing mental stress. 8. By mitigating the tilt of the holder 3 on the side of the disabled limb, the shaking of the quadrupedal wheelchair 1A due to uneven road surfaces is reduced, thereby suppressing skin inflammation that can occur when the skin is caught between the quadrupedal wheelchair 1A and the bone. 9. Since the wheel lifting mechanism 7 raises and lowers the wheels 6 only in response to inclination caused by changes in the road surface or the body's condition, it does not perform lifting or lowering movements that the quadruped animal does not want, compared to prior art that raises and lowers the wheels 6 according to their condition.

[0047] Next, a second embodiment of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair 1B according to the present invention will be described. Note that components of this second embodiment that are the same as or equivalent to those of the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and further explanation will be omitted.

[0048] In the first embodiment described above, the wheel lifting mechanism 7 used a slider 75 and a connecting frame 76 to swing the wheel arm 5 up and down. However, the feature of this second embodiment is that it uses a worm gear to move the wheel arm 5 up and down.

[0049] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, a gearbox 9 is provided on each of the left and right horizontal frames 31. As shown in Figure 9, this gearbox 9 houses a wireless receiver which serves as a command signal acquisition unit 74, a lifting motor 91 for raising and lowering the wheels 6, a worm 92 provided on the output shaft of the lifting motor 91, a worm wheel 93 which rotates in mesh with the worm 92, and a vertical movement bar 95 which moves up and down by a rack 94 which meshes with the worm wheel 93.

[0050] The lower end of the vertical movement bar 95 is connected to the wheel arm 5, and by swinging the wheel arm 5 up and down, the height of the wheel 6 is raised and lowered. The vertical movement bar 95 is formed in an arc shape so as to follow the swing trajectory of the wheel arm 5.

[0051] The second embodiment of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair 1B described above provides the same effects and advantages as the first embodiment described above.

[0052] Next, a third embodiment of the quadrupedal animal wheelchair 1C according to the present invention will be described. Note that components of this third embodiment that are the same as or equivalent to those in the embodiments described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and further explanation will be omitted.

[0053] In the second embodiment described above, the wheel lifting mechanism 7 raised and lowered the wheel 6 by swinging the wheel arm 5 with the vertical movement bar 95. However, the characteristic of this third embodiment is that the wheel 6 is directly attached to the vertical movement bar 95 and moved up and down from there.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, vertical frames 34 hang down from the left and right horizontal frames 31 along the disabled limbs, and a gearbox 9 is attached to these vertical frames 34. The inside of the gearbox 9 is configured similarly to the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, with an up-and-down movement bar 95 formed in a roughly L-shape. A wheel 6 is pivotally supported at the tip of the up-and-down movement bar 95.

[0055] The wheelchair 1C for quadrupedal animals of the third embodiment described above provides the same effects and advantages as those of each embodiment described above.

[0056] Furthermore, the quadrupedal animal wheelchairs 1A, 1B, and 1C according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate.

[0057] For example, in the embodiments described above, we have explained quadruped wheelchairs 1A, 1B, and 1C used for quadruped animals with impaired hind limbs, but the configuration is not limited to this. Specifically, the front-to-back relationship between the healthy limb holder 2 and the impaired limb holder 3 may be reversed to configure a quadruped wheelchair used for quadruped animals with impaired forelimbs.

[0058] Furthermore, for quadrupedal animals with weakened limbs, a wheelchair for quadrupedal animals may be provided that can be fitted with disabled limb holders 3 on both the front and hind limb sides. In this case, the height of each pair of wheel arms 5 on the disabled limb holders 3 on the front and hind limb sides can be changed independently of each other. Alternatively, the disabled limb holders 3 may be configured to be attached to the entire torso, and each of these disabled limb holders 3 may be provided with a pair of wheel arms 5 on both the front and hind limb sides. In other words, the wheel arms 5 provided on the disabled limb holder 3 may be a pair on the left and right, two pairs on the left and right, or more than one pair of wheel arms 5 on the left and right.

[0059] Furthermore, the wheel lifting mechanism 7 is not limited to the configuration of each embodiment described above, and any configuration that allows the height of the wheels 6 to be raised and lowered independently of each other is acceptable. For example, in the first embodiment described above, the slider 75 was driven by a lead screw 71a, but it may also be driven by a drive wire (not shown). Specifically, the slider 75 may be fixed to a drive wire, and the slider 75 may be driven by pulling this drive wire in the front-rear direction with a stepping motor 71b. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1A,1B,1C Quadrupedal animal wheelchair 2. Holder on the healthy limb side 21 Mounting part 22 Neck frame 23. Back frame 3. Holder for the affected limb 31 Horizontal Frame 32 Saddle Frame 33 Lumbar Frame 34 Vertical Frames 4 Connecting members 5 Wheel Arms 51. Disability Limb Cover 6 wheels 7. Wheel lifting mechanism 71 Actuator 71a Lead screw 71b Stepping motor 72 Tilt Sensor 73 Control Unit 74 Command signal acquisition section 75 Slider 76 Connecting Frames 77 Actuator Box 8. Fall recovery mechanism 81 Assist Bar 82 Assist Box 83 Drive motor 84 wires 85 Revolving shaft 86 Rotation axis 9 Gearbox 91 Lifting motor 92 Warm 93 Worm Wheel 94 racks 95 Up and down bar

Claims

1. A wheelchair for quadrupedal animals, A disabled limb holder that is attached to the side of the body of the disabled limb of the quadruped animal, One or more wheel arms are provided on the left and right sides of the holder on the side of the disabled limb, and pivotally support the wheel so that it can rotate, A wheel lifting mechanism that independently changes the relative height of each wheel with respect to the disabled limb holder so as to mitigate the tilt when the attached disabled limb holder tilts due to changes in the road surface or the condition of the body, It has, The wheel lifting mechanism is, An actuator is provided for each wheel arm, which drives the wheel arm according to a specified driving direction and amount of drive, A command signal acquisition unit acquires a command signal to mitigate the tilt of the disabled limb holder by moving each wheel arm up and down, including the driving direction and amount of each actuator, It has, The aforementioned wheelchair for quadrupedal animals further, A tilt sensor that detects the tilt of the holder on the side of the injured limb, A control unit calculates the drive direction and drive amount of each actuator based on the detection signal output from the tilt sensor and outputs the command signal to the command signal acquisition unit, A wheelchair for four-legged animals.

2. A wheelchair for quadrupedal animals, A disabled limb holder that is attached to the side of the body of the disabled limb of the quadruped animal, One or more wheel arms are provided on the left and right sides of the holder on the side of the disabled limb, and pivotally support the wheel so that it can rotate, A wheel lifting mechanism that independently changes the relative height of each wheel with respect to the disabled limb holder so as to mitigate the tilt when the attached disabled limb holder tilts due to changes in the road surface or the condition of the body, It has, A wheelchair for quadrupedal animals, comprising a pair of assist bars that are extendable to the right and left, respectively, relative to the holder on the side of the disabled limb, and having a fall recovery mechanism that, when the quadrupedal animal falls over and becomes lying on its side, extends the assist bar on the road surface side to contact the road surface, and the reaction force returns the quadrupedal animal to an upright position.

3. The wheel lifting mechanism is, An actuator is provided for each wheel arm, which drives the wheel arm according to a specified driving direction and amount of drive, A command signal acquisition unit acquires a command signal to mitigate the tilt of the disabled limb holder by moving each wheel arm up and down, including the driving direction and amount of each actuator, It has, The wheelchair for quadrupedal animals according to claim 2, wherein the actuator moves each wheel arm upward based on the command signal before the tipping recovery mechanism extends the assist bar.

4. The wheel lifting mechanism is, An actuator is provided for each wheel arm, which drives the wheel arm according to a specified driving direction and amount of drive, A command signal acquisition unit acquires a command signal to mitigate the tilt of the disabled limb holder by moving each wheel arm up and down, including the driving direction and amount of each actuator, It has, The aforementioned wheelchair for quadrupedal animals further, A tilt sensor that detects the tilt of the holder on the side of the injured limb, A control unit calculates the drive direction and drive amount of each actuator based on the detection signal output from the tilt sensor and outputs the command signal to the command signal acquisition unit, It has, The wheelchair for quadrupedal animals according to claim 2, wherein the control unit drives the actuator to move each wheel arm upward before the tipping recovery mechanism extends the assist bar.

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