Stair lift assistance device and stair lift system

Abstract

This stair lift assistance device (1) comprises an upper rail (11) and a lower rail (12) provided along a stairway (A), and a moving unit (70). Regarding the upper rail (11) and the lower rail (12), where the space between a first horizontal part (111) and a second horizontal part (121) is a first interval (L1), and the space between a first inclined part (112) and a second inclined part (122) is a second interval (L2), the second interval (L2) is smaller than the first interval (L1), and an interval (L3) between a first connecting part (113) and a second connecting part (123) gradually decreases in a first direction so as to connect the first interval (L1) and the second interval (L2).

Description

Stair climbing assist device and stair climbing system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to stair climbing assistance devices and stair climbing systems.

[0002] A stair-climbing assistance device has been proposed for elderly people or people with walking difficulties who cannot use handrails alone to climb or descend stairs. The device has an assistance handle positioned along the slope of the stairs, allowing the person to climb or descend the stairs while leaning against the assistance handle (see Patent Document 1). More specifically, the stair-climbing assistance device includes a drive body attached to a rail and a stabilizing guide, and an assistance handle connected to the drive body. The drive body can be moved along the rail by operating an on / off switch while the person is in close contact with the assistance handle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-96987

[0004] In this way, if users can climb and descend stairs while relying on the assistance handle, even people who do not receive sufficient assistance from handrails can climb and descend stairs. However, because users of such assistive devices climb and descend stairs while relying on the assistance handle, for example, when they move from a horizontal section such as a corridor above the stairs to an inclined section such as a staircase, if the position of the handle they are relying on changes, they may feel uneasy due to the change in their posture.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a stair climbing assist device and a stair climbing system that allow users to climb and descend stairs safely.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure includes upper and lower rails provided along a staircase, and a mobile unit that moves along the upper and lower rails, the mobile unit including a frame, an upper engagement portion that engages the frame with the upper rail, a lower engagement portion that engages the frame with the lower rail, a handle portion supported by the frame, a restriction mechanism that restricts movement of the mobile unit in the first movement direction when a direction from the top of the stairs toward the staircase is defined as a first movement direction and a direction opposite to the first movement direction is defined as a second movement direction, and an operation mechanism that operates the restriction mechanism to enable movement of the mobile unit in the first movement direction, and The mating position differs in the movement direction, and the upper rail has a first horizontal portion extending horizontally on the stairs, a first inclined portion inclined along the stairs, and a first connecting portion connecting the first horizontal portion and the first inclined portion, and the lower rail has a second horizontal portion extending horizontally on the stairs, a second inclined portion inclined along the stairs, and a second connecting portion connecting the second horizontal portion and the second inclined portion, and when the distance between the first horizontal portion and the second horizontal portion is a first distance and the distance between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion is a second distance, the second distance is narrower than the first distance, and the distance between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion gradually decreases toward the first movement direction to connect the first distance and the second distance.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, users can ascend and descend stairs safely.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a stair climbing assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a right side view of a stair climbing assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stair climbing assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a restriction mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an operating unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a moving unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a chair-type stair climbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a modified example of a stair climbing assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a modified example of a stair climbing assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] <General Configuration of Stair Climbing Assist Device> A stair climbing assist device 1 and a stair climbing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, of the movement directions of the mobile unit 70 of the stair climbing assist device 1, the direction from the top of the stairs B to the top of the stairs A (i.e., the direction from the top of the stairs B to the bottom of the stairs C) will be referred to as a first movement direction D1, and the direction from the top of the stairs A to the top of the stairs B (i.e., the direction from the bottom of the stairs C to the top of the stairs B) will be referred to as a second movement direction D2. Furthermore, the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the mobile unit 70 (the front-to-back direction on the paper in FIG. 1 ) will be referred to as a width direction or stair width direction.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, stair climbing assistance device 1 includes a pair of upper and lower rails 11, 12 arranged along staircase A, and a mobile unit 70 that a user can hold onto while moving along rails 11, 12. Mobile unit 70 includes a handle portion 30 for the user to hold onto, a frame 20 on which handle portion 30 is supported, an engagement portion 40 that engages frame 20 with upper rail 11 and lower rail 12, a restriction mechanism 50 (see Figure 4) that restricts movement of mobile unit 70 in first movement direction D1, and an operation mechanism 60 that operates restriction mechanism 50 to enable movement of mobile unit 70 in the first movement direction.

[0012] The pair of rails 11, 12 extend from the top of the stairs B to the bottom of the stairs C, sandwiching the stairs A therebetween, and the upper rail 11 includes a horizontal section (first horizontal section) 111 extending horizontally at the top of the stairs B, which is composed of a horizontal corridor section, a landing, etc., an inclined section (first inclined section) 112 inclined along the slope of the stairs A, and a connecting section (first connecting section) 113 connecting the horizontal section 111 and the inclined section 112. Although not shown in Figure 1, the upper rail 11 further includes a horizontal section (third horizontal section) extending horizontally at the bottom of the stairs C, which is composed of a horizontal corridor section, a landing, etc., and a connecting section (third connecting section) connecting the inclined section 112 and the horizontal section (third horizontal section) at the bottom of the stairs.

[0013] Similarly, the lower rail 12 also has a horizontal section (second horizontal section) 121 extending horizontally above the stairs B, an inclined section (second inclined section) 122 inclined along the slope of the stairs A, and a connecting section (second connecting section) 123 connecting the horizontal section 121 and the inclined section 122. Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 1, the lower rail 12 also has a horizontal section (fourth horizontal section) extending horizontally below the stairs C, and a connecting section (fourth connecting section) connecting the inclined section 122 and the horizontal section below the stairs (fourth horizontal section).

[0014] The frame 20 is a frame member that is inclined obliquely and extends in the vertical direction, and the engagement portion 40 includes an upper engagement portion 410 that engages the upper end of the frame 20 with the upper rail 11, a lower engagement portion 420 that engages the lower end of the frame 20 with the lower rail 12, and an auxiliary engagement portion 430.

[0015] The upper engagement part 410 is a moving unit that engages with the upper rail 11 and moves on the upper rail 11. As shown in FIG. 2 , the upper engagement part 410 includes a pinion 412, a guide roller 411, and a connecting member (arm member) 413 that connects the guide roller 411 and the pinion 412. More specifically, the pinion 412 is configured to engage with a rack 11a extending from the lower part of the upper rail 11 and rotate around a pinion shaft 412a attached to the upper end of the frame 20. The guide roller 411 has an engagement shape that corresponds to the shape of the upper rail 11 (in this embodiment, a U-shaped groove corresponding to the rail diameter is formed on the outer periphery), and is configured to rotate around a rotation shaft 411a provided at the upper end of the connecting member 413. That is, the upper engagement part 410 engages with the upper rail 11 by sandwiching the upper rail 11 between the pinion 412 and the guide roller 411, which are a pair of rotating bodies. Furthermore, the connecting member 413 is configured to be swingable around the pinion shaft 412a described above, so that the guide roller 411 can swing in accordance with the shape of the upper rail 11, and the line connecting the rotation centers of the pinion 412 and the guide roller 411 is perpendicular to the upper rail 11 at any position of the horizontal portion 111, the inclined portion 112, or the connecting portion 113 of the upper rail 11 (see also FIG. 6 ).

[0016] The lower engagement portion 420 is a moving unit that engages with the lower rail 12 and moves on the lower rail 12. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower engagement portion 420 includes a pair of guide rollers 421, 422 and a connecting member (arm member) 423 that connects the pair of guide rollers 421, 422. More specifically, the upper guide roller 421 has an engaging shape that corresponds to the shape of the lower rail 12 (in this embodiment, a U-shaped groove corresponding to the rail diameter is formed on the outer periphery) and is configured to rotate around a rotation shaft 421a attached to the lower end of the frame 20. The lower guide roller 422 also has an engaging shape that corresponds to the shape of the lower rail 12 (in this embodiment, a U-shaped groove corresponding to the rail diameter is formed on the outer periphery) and is configured to rotate around a rotation shaft 422a provided at the lower end of the connecting member 423. That is, the lower engagement portion 420 engages with the lower rail 12 by sandwiching the lower rail 12 from above and below using the pair of rotating guide rollers 421, 422. Furthermore, the connecting member 423 is configured to be swingable around the rotation shaft 421a described above, so that the lower guide roller 422 can swing in accordance with the shape of the lower rail 12, and the straight line connecting the rotation centers of the pair of guide rollers 421, 422 is perpendicular to the lower rail 12 at any position of the horizontal portion 121, the inclined portion 122, or the connecting portion 123 of the lower rail 12 (see FIG. 6).

[0017] 1, the auxiliary engagement portion 430 is a moving unit that engages with the lower rail 12 and moves on the lower rail 12, and is configured to include a pair of guide rollers 431, 432, a connecting member (arm member) 433 that connects the pair of guide rollers 431, 432, and a link member 434. More specifically, the upper auxiliary guide roller 431 has an engagement shape that corresponds to the shape of the lower rail 12 (in this embodiment, a U-shaped groove corresponding to the rail diameter is formed on the outer periphery), and is configured to rotate around a rotation shaft 431a attached to the frame 20 via the link member 434. That is, one end of the link member 434 is rotatably attached to a shaft 434a attached to the frame between the pinion shaft 412a and the rotation shaft 421a, and the rotation shaft 431a is supported at the other end. The lower guide roller 432 has an engaging shape corresponding to the shape of the lower rail 12 (in this embodiment, a U-shaped groove corresponding to the rail diameter is formed on the outer periphery) and is configured to rotate around a rotation shaft 432a provided at the lower end of the connecting member 433. In this manner, the auxiliary engaging portion 430 is engaged with the lower rail 12 by the pair of rotating guide rollers 431, 432, sandwiching the lower rail 12 from above and below. The connecting member 433 is configured to be swingable around the above-mentioned rotation shaft 431a. Therefore, the lower guide roller 432 can swing in accordance with the shape of the lower rail 12, and the straight line connecting the rotation centers of the pair of guide rollers 431, 432 is perpendicular to the lower rail 12 at any position of the horizontal portion 121, the inclined portion 122, and the connecting portion 123 of the lower rail 12 (see also FIG. 7 ).

[0018] 1 and 3, the handle section 30 includes a main arm 31 fixed to a holder 22 integrally formed with the frame 20, a handle 32 attached to the main arm 31 for a user to grasp, and a handle mount 33 for attaching the handle 32 to the main arm 31. The main arm 31 stands vertically from the frame 20, and a handle mount 33 is attached to its upper end so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 31a. The handle 32 is generally square-shaped and is attached via the handle mount 33 so as to protrude widthwise from the main arm 31. This allows the user to grasp the generally square-shaped side edges extending in the vertical direction as gripping sections 32L, 32R, and also to lean against an upper edge 32T and a lower edge 32U connecting the gripping sections 32L, 32R.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4 , the restriction mechanism 50 is configured with a ratchet-type one-way clutch 51 attached to the pinion 412. The one-way clutch 51 includes a gear portion 510 that rotates integrally with the pinion 412, a claw portion 520 that engages with the gear portion 510, and a biasing member 530 that biases the claw portion 520 in the direction of engagement with the gear portion 510. The gear portion 510 has an outer circumferential shape that allows it to rotate without being caught by the claw portion 520 when the pinion 412 rotates clockwise in FIG. 4 (the direction in which the pinion 412 rotates when moving in the second movement direction D2), but that allows it to be caught by the claw portion 520 and become unable to rotate when the pinion 412 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 4 (the direction in which the pinion 412 rotates when moving in the first movement direction D1). This restricts the movement of the moving unit 70 in the first movement direction D1.

[0020] The claw portion 520 is connected to a connecting shaft 601 described later and is configured to be rotatable around an axis 520a, and when the connecting shaft 601 moves downward and rotates counterclockwise against the biasing force of the biasing member 530, the restriction on movement of the moving unit 70 by the one-way clutch 51 can be released.

[0021] 3, the operation mechanism 60 is configured to include the connecting shaft 601 and the rotating piece 602 of the handle mount 33, and is configured to be able to release the movement restriction by the restriction mechanism 50 in response to tilting of the handle 32. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper end of the connecting shaft 601 opposite the claw portion 520 is supported by a bracket 310 provided at the upper end of the main arm 31. More specifically, the upper end of the connecting shaft 601 is attached to an abutment link 603 that is rotatable about an axis 310a provided on the bracket 310, and the connecting shaft 601 moves up and down as the abutment link 603 rotates.

[0022] The rotating piece 602 of the handle mount 33 is located above the abutment link 603 and projects widthwise from the handle mount 33 so as to partially overlap the abutment link 603 when viewed in the vertical direction. When the handle 32 is tilted and the handle mount 33 rotates counterclockwise about the axis 31a, the rotating piece 602 pushes the abutment link 603 downward, thereby pushing down the connecting shaft 601. When the connecting shaft 601 is pushed down, as described above, the engagement between the pawl portion 520 of the one-way clutch 51 and the gear portion 510 is released, thereby releasing the restriction on movement of the moving unit 70 imposed by the restriction mechanism 50. In other words, the connecting shaft 601 and the rotating piece 602 form an interlocking mechanism that releases the restriction on movement of the moving unit 70 imposed by the restriction mechanism 50 in response to the user's operation of the handle portion 30. The operation for releasing the restriction on movement of the restriction mechanism 50 on the operating mechanism 60 is not limited to the tilting operation, but may be another operation method, such as an upward lifting operation.

[0023] Because the stair-climbing assist device 1 is configured in this manner, for example, when a user descends from stair top B to stair top A, the user first grasps the handle 32 of the moving unit 70 and positions himself or herself on the horizontal stair. Next, the user lifts the handle 32 upward, releasing the movement restriction imposed by the restricting mechanism 50, and takes a step in the first movement direction D1 while holding on to the moving unit 70. When the user takes a step forward while holding on to the handle 32, the user naturally lowers the handle 32 downward, and after taking a step, the restricting mechanism 50 locks the handle 32 again, allowing the user to move the handle 32 up and down while safely resting their weight on the moving unit 70 and descending the stairs.

[0024] When climbing stairs in the second movement direction D2, the restricting mechanism 50 does not lock the user, allowing the user to climb the stairs while holding the handle 32. Even if the user loses balance and moves backward, the restricting mechanism 50 locks the user in the first movement direction D1, allowing the user to maintain their position as long as they hold on to the handle 32.

[0025] <Posture Maintenance Mechanism> Next, the posture maintenance mechanism for the handle 32 will be described. In this type of stair-climbing assist device 1, the connection portions 113, 123 of the rails 11, 12 are curved, so if the radii of curvature at the connection portions 113, 123 are the same, the length of the connection portion on the upper rail 11 side will be longer than that of the lower rail 12. If the distance between these rails 11, 12 is constant over the entire length, the difference in travel distance at the connection portion is absorbed by the change in posture of the frame 20 to which the handle 32 is attached. However, the posture of the handle 32 that the user is holding will also change along with the frame 20, which could cause a sense of insecurity.

[0026] For this reason, in this embodiment, the engagement position of the upper engagement portion 410 with the upper rail 11 and the engagement position of the lower engagement portion 420 with the lower rail 12 are made different in the movement direction of the moving unit 70 so that the handle 32 can move from the horizontal portions 111, 121 to the inclined portions 112, 122 while maintaining a vertical posture at the connection portions 113, 123 without changing its posture, and the distance L1 (hereinafter referred to as the first distance) between the rails 11, 12 and the distance L2 (hereinafter referred to as the second distance) between the rails 11, 12 and the inclined portions 112, 122 are made different. Then, at the connection portions 113, 123, the distance L3 between the rails (hereinafter referred to as the third distance) gradually decreases to connect the first distance L1 and the second distance L2.

[0027] More specifically, in this embodiment, the position at which the lower engagement portion 420 engages with the lower rail 12 is located downstream in the first movement direction D1 from the position at which the upper engagement portion 410 engages with the upper rail 11. In addition, the first distance L1 is greater than the second distance L2 (L1>L2), and the third distance L3 is configured to gradually decrease toward the first movement direction.

[0028] Furthermore, the connection portion 113 of the upper rail 11 is longer than the connection portion 123 of the lower rail 12, and the radius of curvature of the connection portion 113 is larger than the radius of curvature of the connection portion 123. The center of curvature of the connection portion 123 is located downstream of the center of curvature of the connection portion 113 in the first movement direction D1.

[0029] Because of this configuration, as shown in Figure 6, when the moving unit 70 moves through the horizontal sections 111, 121, the connecting sections 113, 123, and the inclined sections 112, 122, each of the engaging sections 410 to 430 swings according to the position of the rails 11, 12, but the inclination of the frame 20 remains constant, and it can be seen that the attitude of the handle 32 is mechanically forced to maintain a vertical attitude whatever the position.

[0030] 7, the auxiliary engagement portion 430 that engages with the lower rail 12 downstream of the lower engagement portion 420 in the first movement direction D1 receives the front-to-rear moment of the moving unit 70 together with the other engagement portions 410, 420, and swings around the axes 434a, 431a in accordance with the shape of the rail 12. The auxiliary engagement portion 430 may be omitted if the other engagement portions 410, 420 can sufficiently receive the moment.

[0031] <Chair-Type Stair Climbing Device> Next, the chair-type stair climbing device 80 will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . For example, as a user's level of assistance needs increases due to aging or other factors, it may become difficult for the user to ascend and descend stairs using the manual stair climbing assistance device 1 described above. In such cases, a self-propelled chair-type stair climbing device may be installed to ascend and descend stairs. However, installing a chair-type stair climbing device has the problem of being more expensive than the stair climbing assistance device 1 described above. In particular, the cost of installing a custom-made rail for each household's staircase accounts for a significant portion of the cost of installing a chair-type stair climbing device. Therefore, the stair climbing system 100 according to this embodiment is configured to allow the upper rail 11 and lower rail 12 of the stair climbing assistance device 1 described above to be shared.

[0032] More specifically, the chair-type stair climbing device 80 of this embodiment comprises an upper rail 11 and a lower rail 12 that are shared with the stair climbing assistance device 1, and a mobile unit 81 that moves freely on these rails 11, 12.The mobile unit 81 comprises a chair portion 82 on which the user sits, an upper engagement portion 83 that engages the chair portion 82 with the upper rail 11, a lower engagement portion 84 that engages the chair portion 82 with the lower rail 12, and an auxiliary engagement portion 85.

[0033] The upper engagement portion 83 includes a guide roller 831 and a pinion gear 832, and a driving force is transmitted to the pinion gear 832 from a driving source 821 provided in the chair portion 82. The lower engagement portion 84 is engaged with the lower rail 12 by being sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 841, 842, and is engaged with the lower rail 12 downstream in the first movement direction D1 from the upper engagement portion 83. The auxiliary engagement portion 85 is engaged with the lower rail 12 by being sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 851, 852, and is engaged with the lower rail 12 upstream in the first movement direction D1 from the upper engagement portion 83 and the lower engagement portion 84.

[0034] With this configuration, when the user operates the operating member 86, the drive source 821 is driven to rotate the pinion gear 832 that engages with the rack 11a of the upper rail 11, thereby moving the moving unit 81 in the first moving direction D1 or the second moving direction D2. Also, like the stair-climbing assistance device 1, the chair-type stair-climbing device 80 can move along the rails 11, 12 while maintaining the chair section 82 in a vertical position.

[0035] <Modifications> In the above-described embodiment, the rack 11a is disposed below the upper rail 11, but the rack 11a may be provided on either the upper rail 11 or the lower rail 12, and may be provided at any position on the upper rail 11 or the lower rail 12. For example, as shown in Fig. 9A, the rack 11aU may be provided on the upper part of the upper rail 11. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 9B, the rack 12aU may be provided on the upper part of the lower rail 12. In cases where the racks are installed in different positions as described above, the rotating bodies 4110, 4210 of the engaging portion 40 that engage with the racks 11aU, 12aU become pinions.

[0036] Furthermore, although the restriction mechanism 50 has been described as being constituted by the ratchet-type one-way clutch 51, for example, a claw operated by the operating mechanism 60 may directly engage with the rack 11a to restrict movement of the moving unit 70. In this case, the user will lift the handle 32 to unlock the restriction mechanism 50 not only when moving in the first movement direction D1 but also when moving in the second movement direction D2.

[0037] <Summary> [Item 1] An apparatus comprising: an upper rail (11) and a lower rail (12) provided along a staircase (A); and a moving unit (70) that moves along the upper rail (11) and the lower rail (12), wherein the moving unit (70) comprises: a frame (20); an upper engagement portion (410) that engages the frame (20) with the upper rail (11); a lower engagement portion (420) that engages the frame (20) with the lower rail (12); a handle portion (30) supported by the frame (20); and a restricting mechanism (50) that restricts movement of the moving unit (70) in a first movement direction (D1) when a direction from the top of the stairs (B) toward the stairs (A) is defined as a first movement direction (D1) and a direction opposite to the first movement direction (D1) is defined as a second movement direction (D2). an operating mechanism (60) that operates the regulating mechanism (50) to enable the moving unit (70) to move in the first moving direction (D1), wherein an engaging position of the upper engaging portion (410) with the upper rail (11) and an engaging position of the lower engaging portion (420) with the lower rail (12) are different in the moving direction (D1, D2), and the upper rail (11) comprises a first horizontal portion (111) extending horizontally on the stairs (B), a first inclined portion (112) inclined along the stairs (A), and a first connecting portion (113) connecting the first horizontal portion (111) and the first inclined portion (112), The lower rail (12) comprises a second horizontal portion (121) extending horizontally on the stairs (B), a second inclined portion (122) inclined along the stairs (A), and a second connecting portion (123) connecting the second horizontal portion (121) and the second inclined portion (122), wherein, when a first distance (L1) is defined between the first horizontal portion (111) and the second horizontal portion (121) and a second distance (L2) is defined between the first inclined portion (112) and the second inclined portion (122), the second distance (L2) is narrower than the first distance (L1), and a distance (L3) between the first connecting portion (113) and the second connecting portion (123) gradually decreases toward the first movement direction so as to connect the first distance (L1) and the second distance (L2).

[0038] [Item 2] The stair climbing assistance device (1) described in Item 1, wherein the engagement position of the lower engagement portion (420) with the lower rail (12) is located downstream in the first movement direction from the engagement position of the upper engagement portion (410) with the upper rail (11).

[0039] [Item 3] The stair climbing assistance device according to item 1 or 2, wherein the first connection portion (113) is longer than the second connection portion (123), and the radius of curvature of the first connection portion (113) is larger than the radius of curvature of the second connection portion (123).

[0040] Because the stair climbing assist device 1 is configured in this manner, the moving unit 70 can be moved while maintaining the posture of the handle portion 30 even at the connection portions 113, 123 of the rails 11, 12. This allows the user to ascend and descend stairs without changing the posture of the handle portion 30 that the user is holding, allowing the user to ascend and descend stairs with peace of mind.

[0041] [Item 4] A stair climbing assistance device (1) described in any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the upper engagement portion (410) comprises a first rotating body (412, 4110) that engages with the upper rail (11), the lower engagement portion (420) comprises a second rotating body (421, 422, 4210) that engages with the lower rail (12), and the regulating mechanism (50) comprises a one-way clutch (51) that regulates the rotation of the first rotating body or the second rotating body in a direction in which the moving unit (70) moves in the first moving direction (D1).

[0042] By configuring in this way, it is possible to restrict the movement of the moving unit (70) in the first direction with a simple configuration. The one-way clutch 51 may be provided on either the roller of the upper engaging portion 410 or the roller of the lower engaging portion 420.

[0043] [Item 5] The stair climbing assistance device (1) described in any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the regulating mechanism (50) comprises a rack (11a, 11aU, 12aU) provided on one of the upper rail (11) or the lower rail (12), and a claw portion that engages with the rack.

[0044] In this way, by directly engaging the claws with the racks 11a, 11aU, 12aU, it is possible to restrict the movement of the moving unit 70 in the first and second movement directions. Furthermore, compared to a mechanism that uses a one-way clutch, it is possible to configure a restriction mechanism more simply and inexpensively.

[0045] [Item 6] The stair climbing assistance device (1) described in any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the operating mechanism (60) is provided with a linkage mechanism (601, 602) that releases the restriction on movement of the moving unit (70) by the restriction mechanism (50) in response to operation of the handle portion (30) by the user.

[0046] [Item 7] The stair climbing assist device (1) described in any one of Items 1 to 6, wherein the moving unit (70) is connected to the frame (20) between the upper engagement portion (410) and the lower engagement portion (420), and is provided with an auxiliary engagement portion (430) that engages the frame (20) with the lower rail (12).

[0047] With this configuration, the auxiliary engagement portion 430 can firmly receive the moment force in the front and rear directions of the moving unit 70, thereby stabilizing the moving unit 70.

[0048] [Item 8] A stair climbing system (100) comprising: a stair climbing assistance device (1) according to any one of items 1 to 7; and a chair-type stair climbing device (80) that moves freely on the upper rail (11) and the lower rail (12).

[0049] In this way, the rails 11, 12 can be shared between the stair climbing assistance device 1 and the chair-type stair climbing device 80, so that the user can smoothly transition from the stair climbing assistance device 1 to the chair-type stair climbing device 80 depending on the level of assistance required, and by sharing the expensive rails 11, 12, the cost required for the entire system can be kept low.

[0050] The present invention can be widely implemented in the fields of stair climbing assistance devices and stair climbing systems.

[0051] The disclosures contained in the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to clarify the scope of the present invention.

[0052] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-115448, filed July 19, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0053] 1: Stair climbing assist device 11: Upper rail 12: Lower rail 20: Frame 30: Handle section 50: Restriction mechanism 60: Operation mechanism 70: Moving unit 111: First horizontal section 112: First inclined section 113: First connecting section 121: Second horizontal section 122: Second inclined section 123: Second connecting section 410: Upper engaging section 420: Lower engaging section L1: First distance L2: Second distance L3: Distance between first connecting section and second connecting section

Claims

1. A device comprising upper and lower rails provided along a staircase, and a mobile unit that moves along the upper and lower rails, wherein the mobile unit comprises: a frame; an upper engagement part that engages the frame with the upper rail; a lower engagement part that engages the frame with the lower rail; a handle part supported by the frame; a restriction mechanism that restricts movement of the mobile unit in the first movement direction, when the direction from the top of the stairs toward the stairs is defined as a first movement direction and the direction opposite to the first movement direction is defined as a second movement direction; and an operating mechanism that operates the restriction mechanism to enable the mobile unit to move in the first movement direction, wherein the engagement position of the upper engagement part with the upper rail and the engagement position of the lower engagement part with the lower rail are different in the movement direction, a first connecting portion connecting the first horizontal portion and the first inclined portion; a second horizontal portion extending horizontally on the stairs, a second inclined portion inclined along the stairs, and a second connecting portion connecting the second horizontal portion and the second inclined portion; a stair-climbing assist device comprising: a first distance between the first horizontal portion and the second horizontal portion; a first inclined portion inclined along the stairs; and a second connecting portion connecting the second horizontal portion and the second inclined portion; 2. A stair climbing assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein the engagement position of the lower engagement portion with the lower rail is located downstream in the first movement direction from the engagement position of the upper engagement portion with the upper rail.

3. A stair climbing assist device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first connecting portion is longer than the second connecting portion, and the radius of curvature of the first connecting portion is larger than the radius of curvature of the second connecting portion.

4. A stair climbing assist device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper engagement portion comprises a first rotating body that engages with the upper rail, the lower engagement portion comprises a second rotating body that engages with the lower rail, and the regulating mechanism comprises a one-way clutch that regulates the rotation of the first rotating body or the second rotating body in the direction in which the moving unit moves in the first movement direction.

5. A stair climbing assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the regulating mechanism comprises a rack provided on one of the upper rail or the lower rail, and a claw portion that engages with the rack.

6. A stair climbing assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operating mechanism is provided with a linkage mechanism that releases the restriction on movement of the mobile unit by the restriction mechanism in response to the user's operation of the handle portion.

7. A stair climbing assist device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the moving unit is connected to the frame between the upper engagement portion and the lower engagement portion and is provided with an auxiliary engagement portion that engages the frame with the lower rail.

8. A stair climbing system comprising: a stair climbing assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a chair-type stair climbing device that moves freely on the upper and lower rails.

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