wheelchair

Abstract

To provide a wheelchair that can be used without the caregiver's feet hitting the frame, chair, seat back, etc. [Solution] The frame 1 comprises the front end to the rear end of the wheelchair, with a bifurcated structure at the front end and the push handle section 7. The intermediate section 12 and the rising section 14 of the frame 1 are located in the center of the wheelchair in the left-right direction and have an integrated structure. The distance from the ground to the bottom surface of the intermediate section 12 is 200 mm or less. Foot supports 2 that can be flipped up are provided at the front ends of each of the bifurcated structures. Casters 3 are provided at the rear of the foot supports 2. A seat 4 is provided on the intermediate section 12 of the frame 1 via a lifting mechanism provided upwards. The seat 4 has a front-to-back position adjustment mechanism. A main wheel 6 is provided behind the position where the lifting mechanism is provided on the intermediate section 12 of the frame 1, via a support extending upwards from the intermediate section. A back support 5 is provided in front of the rising section of the frame 1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheelchair.

Background Art

[0002] When a user sits in a wheelchair and an assistant pushes it from behind to move, depending on the build and moving speed of the assistant, etc., the assistant's foot may hit the frame of the wheelchair, the chair, the back of the seat, etc. For this reason, the assistant may unconsciously narrow their stride or take a posture that separates their whole body from the wheelchair so as not to hit these. Pushing the wheelchair in such movements or postures places a burden on the assistant. Furthermore, a hand-pushing handle portion extends parallel in the front-rear direction of the wheelchair. When the assistant holds this hand-pushing handle portion to push the wheelchair, the assistant's hand may slip in the front-rear direction and it may not be possible to exert force particularly when pushing. Also in this regard, it may place a burden on the assistant. Also, when moving only by the user without an assistant using a wheelchair, for the purpose of leg rehabilitation or muscle strength maintenance, etc., there are times when the foot support is kicked up and only the ground is kicked with the foot to move. If the force of kicking the ground is strong at this time, the wheelchair may suddenly accelerate, etc., and depending on the posture of the user, the center of gravity may move backward and the wheelchair may fall backward. Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, auxiliary wheels were attached to the rear.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The objectives of this invention are to enable the use of a wheelchair without the caregiver's feet hitting the wheelchair frame, seat, or back of the seat. To enable the caregiver to grip the push handle and push the wheelchair forcefully. In addition, to prevent the user from falling backward due to the recoil when moving forward by vigorously rotating the main wheels with their hands or forcefully pushing the ground with their feet during rehabilitation or daily mobility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The wheelchair of the present invention is as follows: 1. The frame comprises the front end of the wheelchair and the push handle section at the rear end, with a bifurcated structure at the front end and the push handle section, and an integrated structure located in the center of the wheelchair in the left-right direction at the intermediate and rising sections. The distance from the ground to the lower surface of the intermediate section is 200 mm or less. Each of the front ends of the branched structure is provided with a flip-up foot support. A caster is provided at the rear of the foot support. A seat is provided in the middle section of the frame via a lifting mechanism positioned upwards, and the seat has a front-to-back position adjustment mechanism. A main wheel is provided behind the position where the lifting mechanism is installed in the middle section of the frame, via a support extending upward from the middle section. The rising portion of the frame is provided with a back support at its front, and this back support has a tilt adjustment mechanism and an up-and-down position adjustment mechanism. The push handle portion is formed at an angle of 20 to 70 degrees with respect to the front-to-back direction of the wheelchair when viewed from above. wheelchair. 2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the height of the frame at the position where the lifting mechanism is installed is lower than the height of the frame at the position where the caster is installed. 3. The horizontal distance from the rotation axis of the main wheel to the rear end of the push handle is 600 mm to 900 mm. The horizontal distance from the rising section, which is at the same height as the rotation axis of the main wheel, to the rear end of the push handle is 400 mm to 750 mm. The wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the left and right side surfaces of the rising portion of the frame and the inner side of the main wheel facing that surface is 200 mm to 400 mm. 4. The wheelchair according to any one of 1 to 3, wherein the horizontal distance of the rear end of the seat's fore-aft position adjustment mechanism to the rotation axis of the main wheel is 100 mm or less, and the rear end of the seat's fore-aft position adjustment mechanism is located 50 mm or less above the rotation axis of the main wheel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, even when a caregiver pushing a wheelchair walks with a normal stride, their feet will not come into contact with the wheelchair frame, seat, seat back, etc. The caregiver can easily grip the push handle and push the wheelchair with force. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A side view of the wheelchair of the present invention. [Figure 1-2] A side view of the wheelchair of the present invention, showing only the main frame. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the wheelchair of the present invention [Figure 3] View of the wheelchair of the present invention from below. [Figure 4] Rear view of the wheelchair of the present invention. [Figure 5] A diagram showing a caregiver pushing the wheelchair of the present invention. [Figure 6] A diagram showing a user sitting in the wheelchair of the present invention and moving forward with their feet. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The wheelchair of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the following description, and other requirements can be added. Also, regarding the directions related to the structure of the wheelchair, when the user is sitting, the direction the body faces is the front, the opposite side is the rear, the right side of the user is the right side, the left side is the left side, the lower side of the user is the lower side, and the upper side is the upper side.

[0009] (Overall structure of the wheelchair) Fig. 1 shows the whole wheelchair. It has a continuous frame 1 extending longitudinally from the front end of the wheelchair to the handle part 7 at the rear end. On the left and right of the front end of the frame 1, foot supports 2 are provided, and one caster 3 is attached to the rear of each of them on the left and right respectively. The frame 1 is located below the seat 4, and it has the seat 4, the back support 5, one main wheel 6 on each of the left and right, and optionally an armrest 8, and a handle part 7 is provided at the rear. The above left and right foot supports 2 are known members in the wheelchair for placing the user's feet. The foot support 2 can be rotated to two positions: the position for placing the user's feet shown in Fig. 2, and the position for forming a space for placing the feet with the surface for placing the feet facing the left and right sides of the wheelchair when the user places the feet on the ground. The caster 3 is a known wheel with a relatively small diameter that can freely change its orientation according to the traveling direction of the wheelchair with a vertical axis as the rotation axis.

[0010] In addition to the above caster 3 and main wheel 6, for the purpose of preventing forward and backward tipping, other casters may be provided, but it is not necessary to have such other casters. It is preferable to provide a known handrim 61 on the main wheel 6. The following dimensions shown in the wheelchair are dimensions that are considered preferable. Dimensions not specified in this specification may be the dimensions specified in JIS T 2016. And the wheelchair of the present invention is not foldable and does not have a mechanism for folding. Also, a known mechanism other than the above-mentioned other casters for overcoming steps etc. may be provided, or it may not be provided.

[0011] (Structure seen from below and side of wheelchair) Fig. 3 shows a view of the wheelchair from below. In Fig. 3, the frame 1 consists of two frames, and at the front part 11, the two frames 1 have a structure where they branch into two forks. At each front end of the two frames 1, there is a foot support 2 that can be lifted by a spring, and a caster 3 is provided at the position on the main wheel side of the frame 1. Then, from near the position where the caster 3 is attached, to a position closer to the main wheel 6 and towards the central part in the left - right direction of the wheelchair, the two frames 1 curve towards each other and approach, and are parallel to each other in the middle part 12 of the frame 1, forming the middle part 12 of the frame 1. Figs. 1 - 2 show a side view of only the basic frame of the wheelchair of the present invention. From the front, there are the front part 11, the middle part 12, the rising part 14, and the push - handle part 7. The boundary between the front part 11 and the middle part 12 is the location where the two frames 1 start to separate from each other towards the tip of the frame. The boundary between the middle part 12 and the rising part 14 is behind the location where the upward - directed frame 13 that supports the wheel 6 from below is connected to the frame 1, and is the location where the frame 1 starts to bend upwards towards the upper push - handle part 7 from a substantially horizontal part of the frame 1. The boundary between the rising part 14 and the push - handle part 7 is the location where the two frames 1 start to separate from each other towards the tip of the push - handle part 7 from the rising part 14. Note that Figs. 1 - 2 show a frame that is not easily understood in other figures. The support frame 17 has the function of supporting the support rod 16 that connects the two wheels 6 to each other from the rising part 14 when the support rod 16 is provided.

[0012] [[ID=I0]]The middle part 12 in the frame 1 refers to the part from the location where the two frames 1 are in the above - mentioned close - proximity and near the location that supports the seat 4, to the rear below the rotation axis of the main wheel 6 and up to the location where the rising part 14 starts to bend upwards. And for the frame 1, the part from the location where the rising part 14 starts to the location where it branches into two frames 15 with a push - handle part 7 at the tip near the upper end is defined as the rising part 14. In addition, instead of the intermediate portion 12 and / or rising portion 14 of frame 1 being structured as two frames 1 closely spaced, integrated, and parallel as shown in Figures 3 and 4, at least a part of the intermediate portion 12 and rising portion 14 may be replaced with a single long member instead of being composed of the two frames shown.

[0013] The width of the intermediate section 12 and / or the rising section 14 in the left-right direction is preferably 180 mm or less, more preferably 50 mm to 150 mm, and even more preferably 70 mm to 120 mm. A smaller width in the left-right direction makes it easier for the caregiver's feet to be placed outside the intermediate section 12 and / or the rising section 14. Furthermore, the horizontal distance from the left-right edges of the intermediate section 12 and / or the rising section 14 to the surface including the periphery of the main wheel 6 facing left-right (the inner side of the main wheel) is preferably at least 200 mm, more preferably 170 mm, and even more preferably 150 mm. Figure 5 shows the case where the caregiver's legs are behind the intermediate section 12 and the rising section 14, and not in front of them or to the sides. However, even if the caregiver's legs are extended further forward, they can fit between the intermediate section or rising section and the wheels, preventing collision. In other words, the wider this distance, the more the caregiver's forward foot can fit between the main wheel 6 and the intermediate section 12 or other parts of the frame 1, even if the foot extends beyond the rising section of the frame 1 when the caregiver is pushing the wheelchair. As a result, the caregiver can walk with large strides without hitting the frame, etc., thereby improving usability for the caregiver.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the height L1 from the ground to the bottom surface (lower edge) of frame 1 is the height required to install the caster 3. The height L1 from the ground to the bottom surface of frame 1 at the location where the caster 3 is installed is preferably 120mm to 180mm, and more preferably 130mm to 160mm. The height L2 from the ground to the bottom surface (lower edge) of the intermediate section 12 is such that the seat 4 can be supported at the intermediate section 12 at an appropriate height via a known lifting mechanism (height adjustment mechanism) such as a mechanical lock or a gas damper. By providing such a lifting mechanism, the height of the seat surface of the seat 4 can be adjusted to suit the user's physique, to a position that is preferable when moving by pushing off the ground with the feet as shown in Figure 6, or to achieve a proper posture by placing the feet on the foot support 2. Furthermore, the height L2 is the height necessary to lower the wheelchair's center of gravity and should be 200mm or less. The lower the better. Therefore, the height of the lower surface of the intermediate section 12 from the ground should preferably be 150mm or less, and more preferably 130mm or less. Also, 50mm to 150mm is preferable, and 80mm to 130mm is preferable. The height of the upper surface of the intermediate section 12 from the ground should preferably be 75mm to 180mm, and more preferably 110mm to 160mm. If the height L2 is 200mm or less, the wheelchair will not tip over backward even if the user falls backward with momentum. Furthermore, in this invention, it is not necessary to provide a frame extending in the front-to-back direction above frame 1. If such a new frame were to be provided, it would be necessary to provide a connecting member between the upper and lower frames. Also, if two new frames were provided, separated in the left-to-right direction, a connecting member would be required between the left and right frames, and depending on the placement of that member, it is possible that the caregiver's foot might bump into it when pushing, making it difficult to walk.

[0015] It is preferable that the height L2 is lower than the height L1 of the underside of the frame 1 from the ground at the location where the caster 3 is installed. In particular, at the location of the intermediate section 12 where the seat 4 lifting mechanism is installed, it is more preferable that L2 be 20 mm to 100 mm lower than L1, and even more preferable that it be 30 mm to 70 mm lower. Lowering L2 than L1 can further improve the stability of the wheelchair during use. Because the height of the lower surface of the intermediate section 12 from the ground is 200 mm or less, preferably 75 mm to 180 mm, the main wheels 6 are supported by the intermediate section 12 via a frame 13, which is a support extending upward from the intermediate section 12. By adopting such a structure, the center of gravity of the wheelchair can be lowered, preventing it from tipping over backward during use. In this way, by supporting the seat 4 with the low-positioned middle section, even when the user rotates the main wheels with their hands or pushes off the ground forcefully with their feet to move forward during rehabilitation or daily mobility, the entire wheelchair will not tilt further backward, thus preventing it from tipping over backward.

[0016] The seat 4 may have a mechanism to adjust the orientation of its seat surface, such as tilting it forward or backward, or a reclining mechanism. It may also have a front-to-back position adjustment mechanism, allowing the seat 4 to be moved arbitrarily in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the seat surface of the seat 4 may be tilted backward, and if necessary, the back support surface of the back support 5 may also be tilted backward to allow the user's upper body to lean backward and relax. Alternatively, the seat surface of the seat 4 may be tilted forward to make it easier for the user to push off the ground with their feet to move the wheelchair. Such a mechanism may include a base supporting the seat 4, and a mechanism to adjust the distance between the top surface of the base and the bottom surface of the seat 4, specifically between the front and / or rear. The seat 4 may also be provided with a front-to-back position adjustment mechanism to allow for more precise adjustment to suit the user's physique. Furthermore, when the user pushes off the ground with their feet to move the wheelchair, it is not always necessary to tilt seat 4 forward. Furthermore, the horizontal distance of the rear end of the seat from the axis of rotation of the main wheel 6 is 100 mm or less, and the lower part of the seat is positioned 50 mm or less above the axis of rotation of the main wheel 6, which prevents the user from tipping backward when they move forward forcefully with their feet. By positioning the lower part of the seat 60 mm or less from the main wheel 6 in this way, the seat surface can be lowered. This makes it easier for the user sitting on the seat to move by pushing off the ground with their feet, which is also effective for rehabilitation.

[0017] As shown in Figure 4, the left and right main wheels 6 are connected to each other by support rods 16 at the position of their axis of rotation. The left and right main wheels 6 can rotate independently of each other. Two frames 13 are provided in the intermediate section 12 to support the support rods 16 from below in order to support the left and right main wheels 6. The support rod 16 may be supported by the frame 13 from directly below, or it may be supported from below and in front of the support rod 16. The frame 13 may be provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the upward and left-right directions from the intermediate portion 12, or it may be provided without spreading out in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the frame 13 may directly support the rotation axes of the left and right main wheels 6 without providing the support rod 16. In any case, the structure supports the main wheels 6 by the support rods 16 through the middle section 12 of the frame 1 located below the wheelchair, and by lowering the center of gravity of the wheelchair, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair from tipping over backward during use. Also, Figure 1 - As shown in 2, the rising portion 14 and the support rod 16 may be connected to the support frame 17 to support the support rod 16. In this case, it is preferable that the support rod 16 is approximately the same width as the lateral width of the rising portion 14.

[0018] By providing the support rod 16 from the intermediate section 12, there is no need to provide an extra frame that extends laterally below or behind the rotation axis of the wheelchair's main wheel 6. Because there is no such extra frame, when a caregiver pushes the wheelchair, there is no need for the caregiver's feet to hit the frame or to take care to avoid hitting the frame. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, when a caregiver walks while pushing the wheelchair, their forward foot can easily fit between the main wheel 6 and the frame 13. Consequently, the extra frame that the feet might hit is eliminated, allowing for a more natural walking posture and ultimately improving usability. Furthermore, since there are no frame or other members extending in the left-right direction at the rear and below the main wheel 6, the caregiver's feet will not come into contact with the wheelchair frame, allowing them to push the wheelchair with a walking gait. As shown in Figure 1, braking brakes 31 are provided on one or both main wheels 6 so that the user can operate these brakes 31. Although not shown in the diagram, it is preferable to provide a parking brake to maintain the stopped state.

[0019] (Structure as seen from the rear and side of the wheelchair) As shown in Figure 4, the rear portion of the frame 1 forms a raised section 14, and the back support 5 for the user is supported from the rear via an adjustment member 51 provided on the raised section 14, which has an adjustment lever or the like. This adjustment member 51 allows the back support 5 to be slid along the raised section 14 to adjust its position vertically. Furthermore, a reclining mechanism is provided to tilt the back support 5, allowing its orientation to be adjusted to tilt forward or backward to suit the user's physique. In addition, for example, the left and right foot supports 2 can be flipped up, and the back support 5 can be tilted forward to make it easier for the user to apply force to their feet when pushing off the ground to move forward, thus facilitating a forward-leaning posture for the user. Here, in order to adjust the degree of forward or backward tilt, screws or the like may be provided at the top and / or bottom of the foot support 2 between the back surface of the foot support and the adjustment member, thereby adjusting the distance between the back surface of the foot support 2 and the adjustment member. Furthermore, a tilt mechanism may be provided to allow the seat 4 and back support 5 to tilt together as a single unit.

[0020] When the distance between the left and right side surfaces of the raised portion of the wheelchair frame and the inner side of the main wheel opposite to those surfaces is 200mm to 400mm, the caregiver's forward foot can easily fit between the frame and the wheel, even with a natural stride. In addition, since there are no frames or other structures provided on either side of frame 1, the caregiver's foot will not come into contact with this frame. Therefore, by combining this distance and structure, the caregiver's foot will not come into contact with the wheelchair frame, and the wheelchair can be moved smoothly.

[0021] (Structure of the push handle) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the frame 1 splits into two branches, one on the left and one on the right, near the top of the back support 5 of the riser section 14, forming two frames 15, each with a push handle section 7 at its end. A brake lever 30 for braking is provided on at least one of the push handle sections 7. The push handle sections 7 may also be positioned so as to face downwards toward the rear of the wheelchair when viewed from the side. Furthermore, it is preferable for the caregiver to be able to smoothly push the wheelchair if the horizontal distance from the rotation axis of the main wheel 6 to the rear end of the push handle portion 7 is 600 mm to 900 mm. Within this range, when the caregiver walks while pushing the wheelchair, they can place their feet between the wheelchair frame and the main wheel, and are less likely to hit the frame or other parts. Moreover, within this range, combined with the shape of the push handle portion 7 described above, it becomes easier for the caregiver to change the direction of the wheelchair. Furthermore, it is preferable for the caregiver to be able to push the wheelchair smoothly if the horizontal distance from the point at the same height as the rotation axis of the main wheel on the riser to the rear end of the push handle 7 is between 400 mm and 750 mm. Within this range, the caregiver's feet are less likely to hit the wheelchair frame or other parts when pushing the wheelchair. As shown in Figure 3, the push handle portion 7 is formed such that, when viewed from above and below, the angle θ with respect to the front-to-back direction of the wheelchair is between 20 and 70 degrees. This angle makes it easier for the caregiver to push the wheelchair.

[0022] In the conventional method, when a caregiver grips the handlebars that extend parallel to the wheelchair's direction of travel, there is a higher chance that their hands will slip, potentially requiring the caregiver to exert excessive force. In contrast, with the push handle portion 7 of the present invention, since the orientation of the push handle portion 7 is not in the direction of travel, it becomes easier to apply force to move the wheelchair forward. Furthermore, one side of the push handle portion 7 can be pushed or pulled directly in the direction of turning, and this movement can also be performed with less force. Furthermore, the two handle sections 7 that extend to the left and right allow a caregiver to enter, creating an environment where they can talk to the user at a closer distance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 frame 2 Foot Supports 3 Caster 4 sheets 5 Back support 6 main wheels 7 Push handle section 8 Armrests 11 Front 12. Middle section 13 frames 14. Rising section 15 frames 16 Support rod 17 Support Frame

Claims

1. The frame that constitutes the wheelchair from the front end to the push handle at the rear end has a bifurcated structure at the front end and the push handle, and in the middle and rising parts of the frame, it is located in the center of the wheelchair in the left-right direction, and the two frames that constitute each of the bifurcations are located close together and parallel to each other, or the frame structure is such that the two frames that constitute each of the bifurcations are a single long member. The distance from the ground to the lower surface of the intermediate section is 200 mm or less. Each of the front ends of the branched structure is provided with a flip-up foot support. A caster is provided at the rear of the foot support. A seat is provided in the middle section of the frame via a lifting mechanism that is positioned upwards, and the seat has a front-to-back position adjustment mechanism. The two main wheel axes are connected to each other by support rods, which are supported from below and in front by a frame. A main wheel is provided behind the position where the lifting mechanism is installed in the middle section of the frame, via a support extending upward from the middle section. The rising portion of the frame is provided with a back support at its front. The push handle portion is formed at an angle of 20 to 70 degrees with respect to the front-to-back direction of the wheelchair when viewed from above. wheelchair.

2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the height of the frame at the location where the lifting mechanism is provided is lower than the height of the frame at the location where the caster is provided.

3. The horizontal distance from the rotation axis of the main wheel to the rear end of the push handle is 600 mm to 900 mm. The horizontal distance from the point on the riser that is at the same height as the rotation axis of the main wheel to the rear end of the push handle is 400 mm to 750 mm. The wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the left and right side surfaces of the rising portion of the frame and the inner side of the main wheel facing that surface is 200 mm to 400 mm.

4. The wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the horizontal distance of the rear end of the seat's fore-aft position adjustment mechanism to the rotation axis of the main wheel is 100 mm or less, and the rear end of the seat's fore-aft position adjustment mechanism is located 50 mm or less above the rotation axis of the main wheel.

Images