JP3688656B2 - Electric wheelchair with stable holding surface - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair that can travel comfortably even on sloping terrain and uneven terrain, and in particular, in order to keep the seat surface horizontal, the seat surface is automatically controlled according to changes in the gradient of the travel path. The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair that can stably hold a seating surface.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventional electric wheelchairs are intended for use in flat places, and since the ground and the seating surface of the wheelchair are always in parallel, even if you can drive in a well-balanced place on flat places, On certain terrain, the balance was poor and it was difficult to run.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the electric wheelchair travels on an inclined ground and a place with undulations or unevenness, it is desirable that the seating surface of the electric wheelchair is substantially horizontal regardless of the inclination of the road surface from the viewpoint of safety and ease of use. Especially in the case of an electric wheelchair, if it falls, the user will be directly damaged by the human body unlike a vehicle, and the user will be out of balance because it is mainly used by disabled people. Measures to prevent falls due to accidents are an important issue.
[0004]
In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a seat-surface-stabilized electric wheelchair that can always keep the seat surface of an electric wheelchair horizontal regardless of the inclination of the traveling path.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides
[1] A seat surface stable holding type electric wheelchair having a chair portion (1) for carrying a person and a vehicle body portion (2) for holding a wheel shaft, and a rotating shaft (13) passing through the front and rear of the electric wheelchair together with the seat part (1) is pivotally attached to the vehicle body part (2) so as to rotate in all directions by a rotary shaft (14) through the left and right, tilt or travel path of the vehicle body part (2) ( 9) The left-right inclination detection rotary encoder (4) and the front-rear inclination detection rotary encoder (6) for detecting the gradient, and the chair (1) and the vehicle body according to the outputs of the rotary encoders (4), (6) A left-right direction swing actuator (5) and a front-rear direction swing actuator (7) for adjusting an angle formed by the portion (2) are provided.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
[0007]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a seat-surface-stabilized electric wheelchair showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a vehicle body portion in a state where a chair portion of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. 1 is removed, and FIG. 1 is a right side view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a right side view showing a front-rear direction control state by the electric wheelchair drive device shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. 6 is a front view showing a left-right direction control state by the electric wheelchair drive device shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a front view of a rotary encoder having a weight, and FIG. 8 is a left side view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a rear view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG.
[0008]
In these drawings, 1 is a chair part, 2 is a vehicle body part, 4 is a left / right tilt detection rotary encoder (detection device), 5 is a left / right swing actuator (drive device), and 6 is a front / rear tilt detection rotary encoder (detection device). , 7 is a forward / backward swing actuator (drive device), 8 is a weight of the rotary encoders 4 and 6, 9 is a travel path, 11 is a battery, 12 is a drive motor, 13 and 14 are rotating shafts (oscillating shafts), 15 Is a wheel, 16 is a drive tire, 17 and 18 are bearings, 19 is an operation box, 20 is an operation box mounting plate, 21 is a right side frame, 22 is a right encoder mounting plate, 23 is a left side frame, and 24 is a left encoder mounting. Plate, 25 hinge plate, 26 clevis receptacle, 27 seat frame, 28 right actuator plate, 29 left actuator plate, 30 traveling frame Swinging frame 31, 32 is a wobble plate.
[0009]
In the present invention, regardless of the inclination of the travel path 9 shown below, the portion excluding the mechanism for horizontally holding the seating surface of the electric wheelchair is not different from the mechanism of the conventional electric wheelchair. Detailed description of the points will be omitted.
[0010]
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a left / right tilt detection rotary encoder 4 and a left / right swing actuator 5, a front / rear tilt detection rotary encoder 6 and a front / rear swing actuator 7 are mounted on the vehicle body 2. .
[0011]
Therefore, first, the control of the seat surface when the traveling road is inclined in the front-rear direction of the electric wheelchair will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0012]
When the electric wheelchair has no inclination in the front-rear direction on the travel path 9, that is, when the electric wheelchair is flat in the front-rear direction, the rotary plate 6 of the front-rear inclination detection rotary encoder 6 and the weight 8 coincide. In other words, the rotation angle δ _F0 of the rotary plate of the front / rear tilt detection rotary encoder 6 is 0 ° (the direction of the weight 8 and the rotation angle δ _F0 of the rotary plate of the front / rear tilt detection rotary encoder 6 coincide with 0 °). The case is set as a reference value.
[0013]
Therefore, when the traveling path 9 reaches an inclined surface with a lower angle δ _F1 , the direction of the weight 8 is in the direction of gravity, but the rotary plate of the front / rear inclination detecting rotary encoder 6 has an angle δ proportional to the inclination. It will deviate from the reference value by _F1 . The forward / backward tilt detection rotary encoder 6 detects the angle δ _F1 and transmits an angle detection signal to the forward / backward swing actuator 7.
[0014]
Based on the signal, the forward / backward swing actuator 7 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft (swing shaft) 14 to displace the seat surface of the electric wheelchair from 1A to 1A ′. That is, conventionally, when the electric wheelchair inclines forward along the inclination of the travel path 9, the seating surface is in the position of 1A ″, and the rider leans forward and loses balance. Since the seating surface can be displaced to 1A ', the seating surface does not lose the balance in the front-rear direction.
[0015]
Similarly, when the front of the electric wheelchair is high, the seating surface is controlled in the direction opposite to the above. In other words, the seating surface 1A can be controlled to be kept horizontal regardless of the forward / backward inclination.
[0016]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the control of the seat surface when the traveling road is inclined in the left-right direction of the electric wheelchair will be described.
[0017]
When the traveling road 9 is not inclined in the left-right direction of the electric wheelchair, that is, when the traveling path 9 is flat in the left-right direction, the rotary plate 4 of the left-right inclination detection rotary encoder 4 and the weight 8 coincide. That is, the rotation angle δ _S0 of the rotary plate of the left / right inclination detection rotary encoder 4 is 0 ° (the direction of the weight 8 and the rotation angle δ _S0 of the rotation plate of the left / right inclination detection rotary encoder 4 coincide with 0 °). The case is set as a reference value (0 °).
[0018]
Therefore, when the traveling path 9 reaches an inclined surface where the right side is high and the left side is low (angle δ _S1 rises to the right), the direction of the weight 8 is in the direction of gravity, but the right and left inclination detection rotary encoder 4 The rotating plate will deviate from the reference value by an angle δ _S1 . The left / right tilt detection rotary encoder 4 detects the angle δ _S1 and transmits an angle detection signal to the left / right swing actuator 5.
[0019]
Based on the signal, the left / right swing actuator 5 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft (swing shaft) 13 to displace the seat surface of the electric wheelchair from 1A to 1B ′. That is, conventionally, when the electric wheelchair is inclined to the right shoulder along the inclination of the travel path 9, the seat surface is in the position of 1B ″, and the passenger turns left and loses balance. Since the seat surface can be displaced to 1B ', the seat surface does not lose its balance in the left-right direction.
[0020]
Similarly, when the left side of the electric wheelchair is high (when the shoulder is lowered), the seating surface is controlled in the direction opposite to the above. In other words, the seating surface 1A can be controlled to be kept horizontal regardless of the left / right inclination.
[0021]
As is clear from the above, when the traveling road is inclined to the front, back, left and right, the front and back and left and right seat surface position control devices are driven independently to control the seat surface always horizontally, It is possible to prevent the passenger from losing balance due to the inclination of the traveling path, and to assist the traveling of the comfortable and safe electric wheelchair.
[0022]
In addition, as a detection device for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body or the gradient of the traveling road, an ultrasonic sensor or an inclination sensor may be used in addition to the rotary encoder. Further, a detection device using a laser sensor or a CCD camera may be used.
[0023]
Further, it may be used in addition to airbags of the swing actuator for adjusting the angle of the seat surface.
[0024]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, A various deformation | transformation is possible based on the meaning of this invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the detection device that detects the inclination of the vehicle body or the gradient of the traveling road constantly keeps the seating surface of the electric wheelchair horizontal regardless of the inclination of the traveling road. By holding, it is possible to prevent the passenger from losing balance, and to assist in driving the comfortable and safe electric wheelchair.
[0026]
In particular, in the case of an electric wheelchair, unlike a vehicle, the user is directly damaged by the human body, and the disabled person becomes a passenger, and the passenger loses balance. However, according to the present invention, the problem can be solved and its practical effect is remarkable.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a seat-surface-stabilized electric wheelchair showing an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view showing a vehicle body portion in a state where a chair portion of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. 1 is removed. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG.
4 is a right side view showing a front-rear direction control state by the drive device for the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. 3; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG.
6 is a front view showing a control state in the left-right direction by the drive device for the electric wheelchair shown in FIG. 5. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a front view of a rotary encoder having a weight.
FIG. 8 is a left side view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a rear view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chair part 1A, 1A ', 1A ", 1B', 1B" Seat surface 2 Car body part 4 Right-and-left inclination detection rotary encoder (detection apparatus)
5 Left-right swing actuator (drive device)
6 Forward / backward tilt detection rotary encoder (detection device)
7 Longitudinal swing actuator (drive device)
8 Weight of rotary encoder 9 Traveling path 11 Battery 12 Drive motor 13, 14 Rotating shaft (oscillating shaft)
15 Wheel 16 Drive tire 17, 18 Bearing 19 Operation box 20 Operation box mounting plate 21 Right side frame 22 Right encoder mounting plate 23 Left side frame 24 Left encoder mounting plate 25 Hinge plate 26 Clevis receiver 27 Seat frame 28 Right actuator plate 29 Left Actuator plate 30 Traveling frame 31 Oscillating frame 32 Oscillating plate

Claims (1)

It has a chair part (1) for carrying a person, and a vehicle body part (2) for holding a wheel shaft, and the rotating shaft (13) passing through the front and rear of the electric wheelchair and the rotating shaft (14) passing through the left and right A left and right tilt detection rotary encoder that pivotally attaches to the vehicle body portion (2) so that the chair portion (1) can rotate back and forth and right and left, and detects the inclination of the vehicle body portion (2) or the gradient of the travel path (9). (4), the front / rear inclination detection rotary encoder (6) , and the angle formed by the chair (1) and the vehicle body (2) according to the outputs of the rotary encoders (4), (6) ; A seat-surface-stabilized electric wheelchair comprising a left-right swing actuator (5) and a front-rear swing actuator (7) .

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