Wheelchair wheel cleaning assist

Abstract

In a wheelchair wheel cleaning assist system that allows a caregiver to clean the rear wheels of a wheelchair while the person requiring care remains seated in the wheelchair, the tipping lever of the wheelchair is raised to lift the rear wheels, which are then manually rotated to allow water to flow and enable the rear wheels to be cleaned with a cleaning brush. [Solution] A wheelchair wheel cleaning assist is provided with a wheelchair rear wheel lifting and lowering support stand. This assist is achieved by rotating an arm handle to raise a tipping lever, which lifts the rear wheels of the wheelchair, allowing for cleaning, wiping off moisture, and disinfection of the rear wheels.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary stand for assisting in cleaning the rear wheels of a wheelchair for nursing care, and a wheelchair wheel cleaning assist.

Background Art

[0002] In an aging society with a high proportion of the elderly, the number of care recipients will continue to increase in the future. Due to illness or frailty due to old age, it becomes difficult to live daily life independently, and the opportunities to use wheelchairs, such as transfer support and mobility support, will increase. When going out in a wheelchair, the wheels that come into contact with the ground get dirty and need to be cleaned. In order to assist in cleaning the wheelchair, prior arts such as a wheelchair cleaning device (Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-319974) or a tire cleaning machine (Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-158519) have been disclosed. Patent Document 1 is excellent in that a slope is attached so that the wheelchair can pass through the wheelchair cleaning device, and the dirt on the wheels of the wheelchair can be removed after passing. Patent Document 2 uses motor devices such as rollers to smoothly clean the wheelchair wheels. In the future, the number of care recipients will continue to increase, and the utilization rate of wheelchairs will be high. There is a demand for care equipment that is easy to use, lightweight, and inexpensive, taking into account the reduction of caregiver fatigue and hygiene.

[0003] When storing a wheelchair after taking a care recipient out in a wheelchair and returning home, it is necessary to remove the dirt on the wheels of the wheelchair. For general wheel cleaning, the usual method of spraying water on the wheels and using a brush to remove the dirt while manually rotating the wheels takes time and places a burden on the waist. In order to reduce the fatigue of caregiving work and protect caregivers and care recipients, it is desirable to assist in such wheel cleaning work. Especially when rotating the wheels for wheel cleaning, in order to lift the wheels from the flat surface (ground), it is necessary to lift the tipping lever of the wheelchair to facilitate the rotation of the wheels. For caregivers who use care equipment, further improvements are required to assist in cleaning the wheels of wheelchairs.

[0004] The objective of this invention is to solve hygienic problems such as dirt on wheelchair wheels after going out in a wheelchair and returning home, to provide an easy-to-use auxiliary platform and wheelchair wheel cleaning assist that gives a sense of security to those requiring care, and makes caregiving easier, safer, and easier to operate.

[0005] This invention, when combined with a wheelchair for caregiving, allows the rear wheels of the wheelchair to be raised and lowered, enabling the rear tires to be washed with water, wiped with a dry cloth, and disinfected, thus maintaining hygiene while performing caregiving tasks. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-319974 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-158519 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Both Patent Documents 1 and 2 aim to reduce the effort required to assist in cleaning wheelchair wheels, but there are several concerns. Patent Document 1 describes a wheelchair washing device that appears to require considerable effort and time to move and install due to its large weight and volume. The device's complex structure makes it difficult to secure sufficient workspace, and it is considered unsuitable for locations with limited usage areas. While Patent Document 2 is excellent for cleaning a wheelchair on its own, there are safety concerns when cleaning a wheelchair while a person requiring care is seated in it. The rollers for the front and rear wheels are rotated using an electric motor, but there is a need for a lighter, more compact, and cost-effective device that takes safety into consideration, such as preventing entanglement. Solving these problems is expected to improve hygiene for both caregivers and those receiving care by assisting with wheelchair wheel cleaning in the daily lives of wheelchair users, while also reducing the workload associated with the cleaning process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The main feature of this invention is that a caregiver can provide care to a person requiring care by raising and lowering the tipping lever of the wheelchair to clean the rear wheels of the wheelchair. In an auxiliary platform where a pair of horizontal supports are attached to vertical supports, the vertical supports are reinforced with reinforcing horizontal supports, and casters are provided at the bottom of the vertical and horizontal supports to support the supports, a wheelchair rear wheel lifting and lowering support platform is attached, enabling a single caregiver to lift and lower the rear wheels of a wheelchair and use the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist. The solution is a wheelchair wheel cleaning assist characterized by using an arm handle attached to a wheelchair rear wheel lifting and lowering support stand to rotate a rotating arm, which in turn rotates the arm shaft, lifting the tipping lever and freeing the wheelchair's rear wheels from the ground, allowing them to rotate and enabling the cleaning of the wheelchair's rear wheels. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The wheelchair wheel cleaning assist of the present invention has the advantage of allowing the rear wheels of the wheelchair to be raised and lowered without using a motor or other power source, while the person requiring care remains in the wheelchair, thereby enabling cleaning, wiping off moisture, and disinfection of the rear wheels of the wheelchair. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an oblique diagram illustrating the method of implementing the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist system. (Example 1) [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the front view showing the method of implementing the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist. (Example 1) [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a side view showing a method for implementing wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance. (Example 1) [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a plan view showing a method for implementing wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance. (Example 1) [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a care recipient sitting in a wheelchair in the implementation of wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance. (Example 1) [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the normal standby position when using the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance in the implementation of wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance. (Example 1). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the rotating arm is rotated by the arm handle of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance and approaches the wheelchair on which the care recipient is sitting in the implementation of wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance. (Example 1) [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance is moved below the tipping lever of the wheelchair in the implementation of wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance. (Example 1). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the brake of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance is applied, the rotating arm is rotated by the arm handle of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance to lift the tipping lever, and at the same time the rear wheels of the wheelchair are lifted from the plane, and the rear wheels of the wheelchair are washed, wiped, and disinfected while being manually rotated. (Example 1). , [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the rear wheels of the wheelchair are washed, wiped, and disinfected, and then the rear wheels of the wheelchair are grounded on the plane. (Example 1) [Figure 11] [[ID=, 24]]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the brake of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance is released and the wheelchair wheel cleaning assistance is returned to the normal standby position. (Example 1) [[ID=, 26]]

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] The caregiver moves the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist closer to the wheelchair on which the care recipient is sitting. The caregiver rotates the rotating arm with the arm handle to lift the tipping lever, and then uses the water hose and cleaning brush to clean the rear wheels of the wheelchair while manually rotating them. After that, the caregiver wipes off the moisture with a dry cloth and disinfects the wheels. The caregiver rotates the rotating arm with the arm handle to lower the rear wheels of the wheelchair to the ground. The caregiver operates the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist to move away from the wheelchair.

Embodiment

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of one embodiment of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist of the present invention, where the reference numerals 1 to 21 are the same as those in FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0013] The embodiment of FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a care recipient sitting in a wheelchair.

[0014] The embodiment of FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the normal standby position of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist, where the caregiver is moving the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist closer to the care recipient sitting in the wheelchair.

[0015] The embodiment of FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a state where the caregiver rotates the rotating arm with the arm handle of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist, pushes up the arm opening stopper, lowers the arm shaft, and moves closer to the wheelchair.

[0016] The embodiment of FIG. 8 shows a state where the arm shaft of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist is positioned below the tipping lever of the wheelchair.

[0017] Figure 9 illustrates an example in which the brake of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist is applied, the rotating arm is rotated with the arm handle, the tipping lever is raised upward with the arm shaft to lift the rear wheels of the wheelchair off the ground, and then the lock lever is operated to rotate the arm lock pipe and fix the arm opening stopper with the arm opening stopper pin (top) to maintain the wheelchair's posture while cleaning the dirt off the lifted rear wheels of the wheelchair. The diagram also illustrates the process of inserting a water hose into the hose support pipe and a cleaning brush into the cleaning brush support pipe, running water through the hose to spray water onto the cleaning brush, and manually rotating the lifted rear wheels of the wheelchair to clean them. After that, the water is turned off, the cleaning brush is replaced with a dry cloth brush to wipe off the moisture, and the device is disinfected with a disinfectant spray or similar.

[0018] Figure 10 illustrates an example in which dirt is removed from the rear wheels of a wheelchair, and the rotating arm is rotated using the arm handle of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist to release the arm opening stopper, thereby placing the rear wheels of the wheelchair on a flat surface.

[0019] In the embodiment shown in Figure 11, the rear wheels of the wheelchair are placed on the ground, the brake of the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist is released, and the user moves away from the wheelchair. The caregiver moves the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist to its normal waiting position, and the person receiving care receives assistance using a wheelchair. By following the procedure for using such an assistive platform and wheelchair wheel cleaning assist, caregivers can reduce the effort required for caregiving and provide care support. [Industrial applicability]

[0020] After taking a care recipient out in a wheelchair, manually lifting the rear wheels to clean, wipe, and disinfect them was time-consuming and placed a heavy burden on the back. However, with the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist of this invention, a caregiver can independently lift the rear wheels of the wheelchair in which the care recipient is seated, manually rotate the rear wheels, rinse with water, use a cleaning brush to remove dirt from the rear wheels, wipe dry and disinfect, and then lower the rear wheels back down to prepare for the next caregiving task. This reduces the burden on caregivers and contributes to improving hygiene. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0021] 1. Reinforcement horizontal support (bottom) 2 horizontal support columns 3. Vertical support posts 4 Swivel casters with brakes 5 Swivel Casters 6. Wheelchair rear wheel lifting and lowering support stand 7 Arm shaft 8 Rotating Arms 9. Locking lever 10. Pipe for arm lock 11. Arm opening stopper 12 Arm Handle 13. Arm opening stopper pin (top) 14. Arm opening stopper pin (bottom) 15 Reinforcement horizontal support (top) 16. Pipe for supporting the cleaning brush 17 Cleaning brush 18. Pipe for supporting hoses 19. Rotating Arm Stopper 20 Wheelchair tipping lever 21 Rotating Arm Shaft

Claims

1. This wheelchair wheel cleaning assist system allows caregivers to manually rotate the rear wheels of a wheelchair used by a person requiring care by lifting them off a flat surface, enabling them to clean, wipe, and disinfect the rear wheels. The system consists of a pair of horizontal supports, each with a vertical support attached to one side, with casters at the four lower corners to support the supports. The vertical supports are reinforced with upper and lower reinforcing horizontal supports. Wheelchair rear wheel lifting and lowering support bases are attached to each horizontal support, and a rotating arm, rotating arm shaft, and arm shaft are assembled to the wheelchair rear wheel lifting and lowering support bases. An arm handle is attached to the upper end of the rotating arm, and the rotating arm is rotated by the arm handle. This wheelchair wheel cleaning assist system utilizes the principle of levers, consisting of shafts (points of action), to lift the wheelchair's rear wheels by moving the tipping lever upward. The lifted position of the wheelchair is maintained by an arm stopper, allowing the rear wheels to be rotated manually. Cleaning brush support pipes are attached to the bottom of each vertical support column, into which the cleaning brush is inserted. A hose support pipe is attached to the top of the cleaning brush, into which the cleaning hose is inserted, allowing cleaning water to flow. After cleaning the dirt with the cleaning brush while manually rotating the lifted rear wheels, the water is stopped, the cleaning brush is replaced with a dry cloth brush, the rear wheels are rotated manually again to wipe off the moisture and disinfect, and then the wheelchair can be lowered to a flat surface by operating the arm handle.

2. The wheelchair wheel cleaning assist according to Claim 1, characterized in that a caregiver uses the wheelchair wheel cleaning assist to lift the rear wheels of the wheelchair by rotating the arm handle, operates the arm lock pipe with the lock lever, holds the rotating arm with the arm opening stopper and the arm opening stopper pin (upper) to prevent it from rotating, and cleans, wipes, and disinfects the rear wheels.

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