Scooping device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a scooping device with which it is possible to scoop up a seated care patient and to move the care patient up and down. In order to achieve this purpose, a scooping device (1) comprises an upper belt (12) for supporting the lower surface of a care patient, a lower belt (14) that moves on a floor surface, and a first drive device (25) for driving the upper belt (12) so as to circulate, the scooping device (1) being such that: the lower side of the upper belt (12) and the upper side of the lower belt (14) are in close contact with each other, and the lower belt (14) is driven to circulate in the direction opposite from that of the upper belt (12) by frictional force between the upper belt (12) and the lower belt (14); the upper belt (12) circulates on the upper and lower surfaces of an upper core material (11) formed so as to be thinner in the distal-end direction; and the lower belt (14) circulates on the upper and lower surfaces of a plate-form lower core material (13).

Description

Scooping device

[0001] The present invention relates to a scooping device.

[0002] Caregivers in medical and nursing care facilities face harsh working conditions. Many care recipients have weak legs, and they often end up sitting on the floor when getting up from a bed or chair or while walking within the facility. To help a care recipient who has sat on the floor into a wheelchair, two or more caregivers are required. It is impossible for one caregiver to handle the situation alone unless that caregiver has the skilled techniques and physical strength to do so.

[0003] When only one caregiver is present at the scene, they often have to call for help. The helper must then immediately return to the original work site. Therefore, the work must be completed quickly, which inevitably makes it hard work, even when two or more caregivers are working together.

[0004] The present invention relates to a scooping device that can lift a care recipient to stand and easily transfer them to a bed, etc., in order to reduce the heavy work of caregivers as described above, and that can also enable people who have difficulty moving their lower bodies, such as those with spinal cord injuries, to easily stand up or transfer them to a bed, etc., by operating it themselves.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a wheelchair for care that is equipped with a frame, wheels, a seat, armrests, a backrest, a step, etc., and is equipped with a seat lifting mechanism and an armrest rotating mechanism to make it easier for caregivers to provide care. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention anything about a function to lift up the care recipient.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a patient transfer and transportation device used to transfer a bedridden patient from a bed or the like to a stretcher or the like, which has two flat blades with endless belts wound around them from their front to rear ends, the blades fixed so that their front and rear ends correspond to each other, and a driving pulley on the rear end side of the blades that rotates each belt in opposite directions, and a tip guide fitting that covers the front ends of the two belts with a small gap between them and gradually becomes thinner in thickness in the direction opposite the blades.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses a caster brake device in which a plurality of concentric protrusions are formed on the side of the wheel, a lever is installed on the side plate of the fork so as to face the protrusions of the wheel, a pawl is formed on the tip of the lever so as to face the protrusions, and the pawl is engaged with a recess formed between the protrusions to lock the rotation of the wheel, and the lever that locks the rotation of the wheel is operated in a direction to unlock the wheel by being pulled by a cable connected to an operating lever. This caster brake device provides a reliable braking effect and is released by operating the operating lever, i.e., the casters are normally braked. Therefore, when a wheelchair equipped with this caster brake device is loaded into the wheelchair, it remains stably stopped, allowing the caregiver to concentrate on caring for the caregiver and the task of loading the caregiver into the wheelchair.

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-288030 Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 58-25121 Japanese Patent No. 7431010

[0009] In the patient transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the upper and lower belts are driven by independent driving pulleys. This inevitably makes the device large and heavy, making it difficult for caregivers to handle. Furthermore, the thickness of the entry section when the upper and lower belts are stacked makes it difficult to move between the patient and the bed, placing a heavy burden on the patient. Patent Document 2 also fails to disclose or suggest the idea of ​​moving the transferred patient upward.

[0010] The basic objective of the present invention is to provide a scooping device that, when a care recipient with weak legs has collapsed or fallen to the floor, can scoop up the care recipient, move them to a higher position, and then, with the caregiver's assistance, easily transfer the care recipient, who is in a nearly standing position, to a bed or the like. To this end, the first specific objective of the present invention is to provide a scooping device that includes a seat body that can easily enter between the care recipient's underside and the floor, even when the care recipient's entire weight is being applied. The second specific objective is to provide a scooping device that includes a highly reliable lifting unit that can move the scooped care recipient to a nearly standing position so that they can be easily transferred to a bed or the like.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a scooping device described in the following [1] to [6]: [1] A scooping device comprising a seat body having an upper belt that supports the lower surface of a care recipient and a lower belt that moves on a floor surface, wherein the upper and lower belts are driven to rotate in opposite directions to each other, thereby allowing the seat body to enter between the lower surface of the care recipient and the floor surface, characterized in that the scooping device comprises a first drive device that drives the upper belt to rotate, the lower side of the upper belt and the upper side of the lower belt are in close contact with each other, the lower belt is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the upper belt due to friction between the upper and lower belts, the upper belt moves around the upper and lower surfaces of an upper core material that is thinned toward the tip, and the lower belt moves around the upper and lower surfaces of a plate-shaped lower core material. [2] The scooping device according to [1] above, characterized in that the upper belt is driven to rotate by frictional force between the upper belt and the surfaces of the plurality of cylindrical bodies driven to rotate by the first driving device. [3] The scooping device according to [1] or [2] above, characterized in that it is provided with a lifting unit that moves the seat body in the vertical direction while maintaining the angle of the seat surface relative to the floor surface. [4] The scooping device according to [3] above, characterized in that the lifting unit comprises a second driving device, a bolt driven to rotate by the second driving device, and a lifting body to which a nut threaded onto the bolt is fixed. [5] The scooping device according to [3] above, characterized in that the lifting section comprises a second drive unit, a first bolt having a key groove on its outer periphery that is rotationally driven by the second drive unit, a first lifting body to which a first nut threaded onto the first bolt is fixed and to which a hollow second bolt having a key protrusion on its inner periphery that engages with the key groove of the first bolt is fixed when rotating, and a second lifting body to which a second nut threaded onto the second bolt is fixed. [6] The scooping device according to any of [3] to [5] above, characterized in that the seat body is connected to the lifting section via a connecting part, and the connecting part comprises a guide member slidably arranged on the lifting section and a stopper member fixed to the lifting section that supports the guide member from below, and the seat body is connected to the guide member.

[0012] The above-described scooping device according to the present invention allows a care recipient with weak legs who has collapsed or fallen to the floor to be scooped up and moved to a higher position, and then, with the caregiver's assistance, the care recipient, who is in a nearly standing position, can be easily transferred to a bed or the like. Specifically, the inventions described in [1] and [2] above allow the seat body to be reliably inserted between the underside of the care recipient and the floor when the care recipient is seated on the floor. Furthermore, the inventions described in [3] to [5] above allow the seat body to be stably moved to a higher position with the care recipient resting on it. Furthermore, the invention described in [6] above allows the seat body to be reliably in contact with the floor and prevents excessive force from being applied to the seat body or the like.

[0013] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a scooping device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a seat body of the scooping device; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an upper core material and a lower core material; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a drive unit that drives an upper belt to rotate; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the connection between the lifting unit and the seat body; FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view conceptually showing the internal structure of the lifting unit; FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view conceptually showing the state of the connection unit when the seat body is rising or falling; FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view conceptually showing the state of the connection unit when the seat body is in contact with the floor surface; FIG. 9 is a side view conceptually showing the state of the seat body entering between the underside of a care recipient and the floor surface; FIG. 10 is an explanatory view explaining the principle by which the seat body enters between the underside of a care recipient and the floor surface; FIG. 11 is a side view conceptually showing the state when the care recipient is placed on the seat body and is raised by the lifting unit.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a scooping device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] The scooping device of the present invention is a device that is suitable for use in inserting and advancing a seat body under the buttocks of a person being cared for who is seated on the floor, and then moving the person being cared for vertically while they are placed on the seat body, thereby allowing the person to stand up or be moved to a bed, etc.

[0016] 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the scooping device according to the present invention. This scooping device 1 includes a seat body 10, a lifting unit 30 that moves the seat body 10 up and down, a connecting unit 50 that connects the seat body 10 and the lifting unit 30, and a frame 60 to which the lifting unit 30 and other components are attached.

[0017] The structures of the seat body 10, the lifting section 30, the connecting section 50, and the frame body 60 will be described below in order.

[0018] 2 is a conceptual vertical cross-sectional view of the seat body 10. The seat body 10 includes an upper core 11, an upper belt 12 wound around the upper core 11, a lower core 13, a lower belt 14 wound around the lower core 13, and a drive unit 20 that drives the upper belt 12 to revolve around the upper core 11.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the drive unit 20 includes three cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c that are driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the adjacent cylindrical bodies, and the upper belt 12 is wound alternately in opposite directions around the outer surfaces of the three cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c as shown in the figure, and when the cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c are rotated, the upper belt 12 is driven to rotate around the upper core material 11 due to the frictional force with the cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c.

[0020] The lower belt 14 is in close contact with the lower part of the upper belt 12 at its upper part, thereby generating a frictional force, and as the upper belt 12 rotates around the upper core material 11, the lower belt 14 is rotated around the lower core material 13 in the opposite direction to the rotating direction of the upper belt 12.

[0021] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the upper core 11 has a generally trapezoidal cross section, with a central portion 11a forming a generally rectangular parallelepiped space for accommodating the cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c. Toward the front and rear of the central portion 11a are formed a front portion 11b and a rear portion 11c, each of which has a triangular cross section and a tapered tip. Meanwhile, the lower core 13 is composed of two plate-like members 13a and 13b. Plate-like members 13a and 13b can be made of, for example, a spring material with a tensile strength and a thickness of approximately 1 mm, since they are extremely thin, strong, and resistant to deformation.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the upper core 11 and the lower core 13 are integrated by fastening mounting portions 16a, 16b provided on both sides of the plate-like members 13a, 13b constituting the lower core 13 to frame members 15 provided on both sides of the center portion 11a of the upper core 11 with bolts 17. When the upper core 11 and the lower core 13 are integrated, the tension of the lower belt 14 wound around the lower core 13 is adjusted, and as shown in Fig. 2, the distance between the upper core 11 and the lower core 13 is adjusted so that the underside of the upper belt 12 and the upper side of the lower belt 14 are in close contact. Mounting portions 18 are provided on both sides of the upper core 11 to connect the seat body 10 to the lifting unit 30 when the upper core 11 and the lower core 13 are integrated to form the seat body 10.

[0023] 4 is a perspective view conceptually illustrating the configuration of the drive unit 20 that drives the upper belt 12. The three cylinders 21a, 21b, and 21c of the drive unit 20 are each journaled via bearings on frame members 15 provided on both sides of the center portion 11a of the upper core member 11. Gears 22a, 22b, and 22c are provided at the ends of the cylinders 21a, 21b, and 21c, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the gear 22a provided on the first cylinder 21a meshes with the gear 22b provided on the second cylinder 21b, and the gear 22c provided on the third cylinder 21c also meshes with the gear 22b provided on the second cylinder 21b. The gear 22b provided on the second cylindrical body 21b is coupled to a sprocket 23 arranged on the outside of the frame material 15, and the rotation of the first driving device 25 is transmitted to the sprocket 23 by a chain 24. When the first driving device 25 rotates and the sprocket 23 is rotated, the first and third cylindrical bodies 21a and 21c rotate in the opposite direction to the second cylindrical body 21b due to the meshing state of the gears 22a, 22b, and 22c. The first driving device 25 can be provided with a reducer (not shown) if necessary.

[0024] 2, when the first to third cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c rotate in the directions of the arrows, the upper belt 12 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow P, and the lower belt 14 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow Q, which is opposite to P. As a result, the seat body 10 moves in the direction of arrow α relative to the floor surface H. Naturally, when the first to third cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c rotate in the opposite direction, the seat body 10 moves in the opposite direction to the arrow α.

[0025] In the above embodiment, the rotation of the first driving unit is transmitted to the first to third cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c by a chain and a sprocket, but other driving methods may be used. For example, a worm wheel (not shown) may be coupled to the gear 22b instead of the sprocket 23, and the worm wheel may be rotated by a worm (not shown) rotated by the first driving unit. Alternatively, the first driving unit may be directly attached to one of the cylindrical bodies 21a, 21b, and 21c via a universal joint (not shown). Alternatively, a gear (not shown) provided on the rotation shaft of the first driving unit may be engaged with one of the gears 22a, 22b, and 22c.

[0026] Furthermore, because both the upper belt 12 and the lower belt 14 rotate around the surfaces of the upper core 11 and the lower core 13, respectively, it is preferable to minimize friction between the two belts and the two cores. For this reason, it is preferable to place a sliding sheet (not shown) on the surfaces of the cores 11 and 13 to reduce friction. Examples of the sliding sheet to be placed include sliding sheets used as inner materials in sliding boards and sliding sheets used in medical care settings. Alternatively, to reduce the frictional resistance and thickness between the belts 12 and 14 and the cores 11 and 13, it is possible to avoid using the sliding sheets and instead apply a surface treatment such as Teflon (registered trademark) to the upper and lower surfaces of the cores 11 and 13, which provides excellent sliding properties. In this case, it is preferable to form a curved surface with low resistance by cutting or other methods on the front and rear ends of the cores where the belts are pressed against them, particularly the front and rear ends of the lower core 13, to reduce belt wear.

[0027] <Lifting Unit> Because the scooping device according to the present invention lifts a care recipient from a floor that is seated on it, it is necessary to provide a lifting unit that is highly reliable and capable of long-stroke movement. To meet this requirement, a preferred embodiment of the present invention employs a special mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion. It is naturally preferable to provide a pair of lifting units (see FIG. 1) symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the seat body, as this allows for stable and reliable lifting.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the lifting unit, and Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view conceptually showing the internal structure of the lifting unit. The lifting unit 30 according to the illustrated embodiment includes a second drive device 31, a first lifting body 32 that is raised and lowered by the second drive device 31, and a second lifting body 33.

[0029] The second drive unit 31 is attached to the frame 60, and a first bolt 34 is coupled vertically to the rotation shaft of the second drive unit 31. A reducer (not shown) can be provided in the second drive unit 31, as needed. A key groove 35 is provided in the first bolt 34 parallel to the bolt axis (see FIG. 6(b)). A first nut 36 fixed to the bottom of the first lifting body 32 is threadedly engaged with the first bolt 34.

[0030] A hollow second bolt 37 is rotatably provided inside the first elevating body 32. A key projection 38 is provided in the hollow portion of this second bolt 37 parallel to the bolt axis (see FIG. 6(c)), and the upper part of the first bolt 34 is inserted into the hollow portion of the second bolt 37 with the key projection 38 formed on the second bolt 37 engaged with the key groove 35 formed on the first bolt 34. A second nut 39 fixed to the bottom of the second elevating body 33 is screwed onto the second bolt 37.

[0031] A mounting body 40 is attached to the first lifting body 32 and the second lifting body 33 so as to cover them from above. The mounting height of the mounting body 40 on the second lifting body 33 is adjustable so that the left and right lifting sections 30, 30 are at the same height. In the illustrated embodiment, a hexagonal hole 41 is provided at the center of the upper end of the second lifting body 33. A hexagonal wrench 42 is inserted into the hexagonal hole 41 and rotated to rotate the second lifting body 33, thereby adjusting the height position. After adjusting the height position of the second lifting body 33, the mounting body 40 is attached to the upper end surface of the second lifting body 33 with fixing bolts 43. The adjustable mounting method of the mounting body 40 is not limited to the method described in the embodiment. Furthermore, any mounting method that allows for height adjustment may be used to mount the mounting body 40 on either the left or right lifting section 30, 30. The seat body 10 described above is attached to the side wall of the mounting body 40 as shown in FIG.

[0032] When the second drive device 31 is rotated, the first bolt 34 connected to the second drive device 31 rotates, moving the first nut 36 threaded onto the first bolt 34 and moving the first lifting body 32 to which the first nut 36 is fixed. Furthermore, the second bolt 37, which is rotatably attached inside the first lifting body 32 into which the upper part of the first bolt 34 is inserted with the key groove 35 and the key protrusion 38 engaged, rotates together with the rotation of the first bolt 34, moving the second nut 39 threaded onto the second bolt 37 and moving the second lifting body 33 to which the second nut 39 is fixed. In this way, the lifting unit 30 according to the illustrated embodiment has a mechanism for lifting and lowering by converting the rotation of the bolt into linear movement of the nut, so that its movement is stable and high output can be exerted, enabling highly reliable lifting and lowering. Furthermore, the rotation of the bolt is transmitted from the first bolt 34, which moves the first lifting body 32, to the second bolt 37, which moves the second lifting body 33, by the engagement between the key groove 35 and the key protrusion 38. Therefore, the vertical movement stroke is the sum of the movement stroke of the first lifting body 32 due to the rotation of the first bolt 34 and the movement stroke of the second lifting body 33 due to the rotation of the second bolt 37, resulting in a device that can achieve long-stroke lifting and lowering.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the rotation of the bolt is transmitted to multiple bolts by the engagement between the key groove 35 and the key protrusion 38, and multiple lifting bodies are moved simultaneously, thereby realizing a long stroke. However, if the required response is achieved by increasing the rotation speed of the second drive device or by lengthening the bolt pitch, the lifting section may be configured with a single stage of bolt and nut screwed together.

[0034] <Connection Portion> The seat body 10 is connected to the lifting portion 30 via the connection portion 50, thereby allowing the seat body 10 to be raised and lowered. The structure of this connection portion 50 will be described below.

[0035] 5 is also a perspective view conceptually showing the connection between the lifting unit and the seat body. In the illustrated embodiment, the lifting unit 30 is fixed upright to the frame 60, and the seat body 10 is connected to the side wall of the mounting body 40 of the lifting unit 30 via the connection part 50.

[0036] 7 and 8 are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the connection portion 50. FIG. 7 shows the seat body 10 in a state of rising or falling, and FIG. 8 shows the seat body 10 in a state of resting on the floor H. A box-shaped guide member 51 with a roughly rectangular cross-section is arranged at one end on the mounting body 40 of the lifting / lowering unit 30 so that it can slide up and down. A stopper member 52 is fixed by a bolt 53 to the side wall of the mounting body 40 located inside the guide member 51. As a result, the guide member 51 is placed on the mounting body 40 of the lifting / lowering unit 30 with the upper end of the stopper member 52 fixed to the mounting body 40 of the lifting / lowering unit 30. A side plate 54 is fixed to the other end of the guide member 51, and two arms 55 are attached to the side plate 54 by bolts 56. The lower ends of the arms 55 are fixed by bolts 57 to mounting portions 18 provided on the side ends of the seat body 10. Similarly, the mounting portions 18 provided on the opposing side ends of the seat body 10 are connected via arms and side plates to guide members arranged on the mounting body of the other lifting portion of the pair.

[0037] When the seat body 10 is raised or lowered, as shown in Figure 7, the upper end of the stopper member 52 contacts the inside of the upper plate of the guide member 51, and the stopper member 52 moves up and down while placing the guide member 51 on it.As the mounting body 40 of the lifting section 30 rises or falls, the guide member 51, the side plate 54 fixed to the guide member 51, and the seat body 10 fixed to the side plate 54 via the arm 55 rise or fall.

[0038] When the seat body 10 is placed on the floor to support a care recipient, if the seat body 10 is raised above the floor, it becomes difficult to insert the seat body 10 beneath the care recipient. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the seat body 10 is firmly in contact with the floor. On the other hand, if the second drive device 31 of the lifting unit 30 is driven to lower the seat body 10 so that the seat body 10 touches the floor, a large force is applied to the seat body 10 and other components the moment the seat body 10 touches the floor, potentially damaging the seat body 10 and other components. To prevent this, the structure of the connection unit 50 according to the present invention is such that, as described above, the guide member 51 is not directly fixed to the mounting body 40 of the lifting unit 30, but is instead positioned on the mounting body 40 of the lifting unit 30 while resting on the upper end of the stopper member 52 fixed to the mounting body 40 of the lifting unit 30.

[0039] Since the guide member 51 is not directly fixed to the mounting body 40 of the lifting section 30, as shown in Figure 8, when the seat body 10 touches the floor surface H, the guide member 51 to which the seat body 10 is fixed slides against the descending mounting body 40, and only the stopper member 52 fixed to the mounting body 40 descends, and the seat body 10 does not descend any further, thereby preventing damage to the seat body 10, etc.

[0040] <Frame> As described above, the lifting body 30 is fixed upright to the frame 60, and the seat body 10 connected to the lifting body 30 via the connection part 50 is disposed on the frame 60. As shown in Fig. 1, casters 61 for movement are attached to the underside of the frame 60, and a handle 62 is provided on the rear part of the frame 60. Also, a battery 63 that supplies power to the first drive unit 25 and the second drive unit 31, and a control box 64 that controls the operation of the first drive unit 25 and the second drive unit 31 are provided in appropriate positions on the frame 60. Furthermore, a footrest member, a backrest member (not shown), etc. can be attached as needed.

[0041] <Usage> The scooping device 1 of the present invention can be used by inserting the seat body 10 under the buttocks of a person being cared for who is sitting on the floor, then placing the person being cared for on the seat body 10 and lifting it using the lifting unit 30, and then helping the person being cared for to stand with the assistance of a caregiver, or even moving them to a bed or the like.

[0042] 9 conceptually shows how the seat body 10 of the scooping device of the present invention moves between the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M who is sitting on the floor and the floor surface H. In a situation where the weight of the care recipient M is concentrated on the seat body 10, the seat body 10 must move between the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M and the floor surface H.

[0043] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the principle by which the seat body 10 enters between the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M and the floor H. As shown in FIG. 10A, the seat body 10 according to the present invention is rotated so that it is located between positions X and Y of the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M. In this state, portions a, b, and c of the lower belt 14 are supported by the floor H, and portions A, B, and C of the upper belt 12 support the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M from position X to position Y. If the seat body 10 is further rotated in this state, the upper belt 12 and the lower belt 14 come out from their tips as indicated by the arrows. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10B, portions a, b, c, d, and e of the lower belt 12 are supported by the floor H, and portions A, B, C, D, and E of the upper belt 12 support the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M from position X to position Z. Accordingly, the seat body 10 enters between the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M and the floor H. In other words, the upper belts 12 are driven by the first drive device 25 via the cylindrical bodies 21 a, 21 b, and 21 c to spring out from the tip of the seat body 10, and the lower belts 14 are driven by the frictional force between them and the upper belts 12 to spring out from the tip of the seat body 10.

[0044] It should be noted that neither the upper belt 12 nor the lower belt 14 generates any force pulling them backward, but only a force pushing them into the gap between the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M and the floor H. Moreover, since this force is generated by the frictional force between the upper belt 12 and the lower belt 14 and the frictional force between the lower belt 14 and the floor H, the weight of the care recipient M applied from above acts in a positive direction to prevent freewheeling, and even when the weight of the care recipient M is applied to the seat body 10, it can forcefully push under the care recipient M. It should also be noted that neither the upper belt 12 nor the lower belt 14 moves in the contact areas with the underside of the buttocks of the care recipient M or the floor H, and the seat body 10 can push under the care recipient M and place the care recipient M on the seat body 10, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b). This allows the care recipient M to scoop up the object without exerting any excessive force on him / her.

[0045] The scooping device 1 according to the present invention can lift the care recipient M, who has been scooped up onto the seat body 10 as described above, to a position that facilitates care, as shown in FIG. 11 , by using the lifting unit 30 to move the care recipient M vertically while the care recipient M is still on the seat body 10. Once the care recipient M is lifted to this position, even a single caregiver can easily lift the care recipient M to a standing position, and also easily transfer the care recipient M to a bed or the like. For example, when transferring the care recipient M to a bed, the caregiver first carries the care recipient M to the side of the bed while scooping the care recipient M up, and then lifts the seat body 10 using the lifting unit 30, bringing the care recipient M to an almost standing position, as shown in FIG. 11 . Next, the caregiver stands facing the care recipient M, picks up the almost standing care recipient M, and then rotates the care recipient M 90 degrees to place the care recipient M on the bed beside the care recipient, completing the transfer to the bed. This procedure can be easily performed by a single caregiver.

[0046] The scooping device 1 of the present invention preferably has an appearance similar to that of a normal wheelchair when the seat body 10 is raised to about the intermediate position. That is, it is preferable that a backrest member that supports the back of the care recipient M sitting on the seat body 10, armrest members that support the arms of the care recipient M, and footrest members that support the feet of the care recipient M are attached, even if they are removable.

[0047] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of safety, casters 61 attached to the underside of the frame 60 for moving the scooping device 1 of the present invention are preferably casters that brake when the caregiver lets go of the care recipient M to look after them. Examples of such casters include the casters disclosed in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent No. 7431010) described in the Background Art section. With such casters that require an operating lever for movement, the scooping device 1 of the present invention needs to be moved forward when the care recipient M is scooped up by the seat body 10. This forward movement can be achieved by gripping the operating lever of the caster, making it easy to move the device forward while ensuring safety. Furthermore, because the rear casters of a normal wheelchair are fixed and cannot move sideways, it is not possible to place the care recipient M on the wheelchair in narrow spaces, and the caregiver must move the care recipient M to a wide area where they can be placed, but the casters disclosed in Patent Document 3 (Patent Publication No. 7431010) are capable of moving sideways, making it possible to scoop up the care recipient M even in narrow spaces without moving them. Also, it is preferable that the handle 62 used by the caregiver to push or pull the scooping device 1 of the present invention can be adjusted to an appropriate height at the rear of the lifting unit 30 according to the caregiver's height.

[0048] Although the scooping device according to the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that forms incorporating such modifications or improvements are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0049] The scooping device of the present invention described above can be used widely in medical and nursing care settings, as it can easily scoop up a care recipient with weak legs who has collapsed or sat down on the floor, move them to a higher position, and then, with the caregiver's assistance, move the care recipient, who is almost upright, to a bed or the like.

[0050] 1: scooping device, 10: seat body, 11: upper core, 11a: middle part of upper core, 11b: front part of upper core, 11c: rear part of upper core, 12: upper belt, 13, 13a, 13b: lower core, 14: lower belt, 15: frame, 16a, 16b: mounting part, 17: bolt, 18: mounting part, 20: drive part, 21a: first cylindrical body, 21b: second cylindrical body, 21c: third cylindrical body, 22a: first gear, 22b: second gear, 22c: third gear, 23: sprocket, 24: chain, 25: first drive device, 30: lifting / lowering part, 31: second driving device, 32: first lifting body, 33: second lifting body, 34: first bolt, 35: key groove, 36: first nut, 37: second bolt, 38: key protrusion, 39: second nut, 40: mounting body, 41: hexagon socket, 42: hexagon wrench, 43: fixing bolt, 50: connecting part, 51: guide member, 52: stopper member, 53: bolt, 54: side plate, 55: arm, 56: bolt, 57: bolt, 60: frame body, 61: caster, 62: handle, 63: battery, 64: control box, M: care recipient, H: floor surface

Claims

1. A scooping device comprising a seat body having an upper belt that supports the underside of the person being cared for and a lower belt that moves on the floor, and wherein the upper and lower belts rotate in opposite directions to allow the seat body to enter between the underside of the person being cared for and the floor, characterized in that the scooping device is provided with a first drive device that rotates the upper belt, the underside of the upper belt and the upper side of the lower belt are in close contact with each other, and the frictional force between the upper and lower belts causes the lower belt to rotate in the opposite direction to the upper belt, the upper belt rotates around the top and bottom surfaces of an upper core material that is formed thinner towards the tip, and the lower belt rotates around the top and bottom surfaces of a plate-shaped lower core material.

2. The scooping device according to claim 1, wherein the upper belt is driven to rotate by frictional force between the upper belt and the surfaces of a plurality of cylindrical bodies driven to rotate by the first driving device.

3. A scooping device as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is provided with a lifting unit that moves the seat body up and down while maintaining the angle of the seat surface relative to the floor surface.

4. A scooping device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the lifting section comprises a second drive unit, a bolt that is rotationally driven by the second drive unit, and a lifting body to which a nut threaded onto the bolt is fixed.

5. A scooping device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the lifting section comprises a second drive unit, a first bolt having a key groove on its outer periphery that is driven to rotate by the second drive unit, a first lifting body to which a first nut threaded onto the first bolt is fixed and to which a hollow second bolt having a key protrusion on its inner periphery that engages with the key groove of the first bolt is attached while rotating, and a second lifting body to which a second nut threaded onto the second bolt is fixed.

6. A scooping device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the seat body is connected to the lifting section via a connecting part, the connecting part having a guide member slidably arranged on the lifting section and a stopper member fixed to the lifting section that supports the guide member from below, and the seat body is connected to the guide member.

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