JP4117163B2 - Bathing care assist device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bathing care assisting device, and more particularly to a bathing care assisting device that moves a bather up and down and bathes in a bathtub.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The present applicant has proposed a bathing care assisting device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-17507 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-161780.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention is to provide a bathing care assisting device that has a simple structure, can reduce the number of parts, is less likely to break down, is easy to perform maintenance and inspection, has few failure points, and can be operated with a small operating force. It is to be.
Another object of the present invention is to simplify the structure of the mechanism that supports the weight of the bather, so that buoyancy occurs when the bather is immersed in hot water, and so on. To provide a bathing care assisting device that prevents the bather from moving up and down even when an imbalance occurs between the load and the force generated by the mechanism that supports the weight of the bather.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in a first aspect, a rotatable shaft (5) is attached to the shaft so as to be swingable in the vertical direction as the shaft rotates. in the arm (2) hanging the bather sitting on the seat and the seat's seat, by Rukoto swingably its one end attached to the shaft in the vertical direction with the rotation of the shaft, through the shaft A first lever (2a) having one end attached to the other end of the arm, and a second lever (16 ) having one end connected to the other end of the first lever so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. ) , A spring shaft (17) having one end connected to the other end of the second lever and movable in the vertical direction, and connected to the other end of the spring shaft to expand and contract in the vertical direction and apply to the arm. Cancels the suspended load in response to the suspended load The spring shaft spring force as, attached to said spring (20) in which the second lever and through the first lever and the shaft for transmitting to said arm, said shaft so that said shaft is its axis of rotation A worm wheel (15) that rotates about a horizontal axis as the shaft rotates and the arm swings, and a worm gear (14) that meshes with the worm wheel, The seat acts on the arm via the shaft so as to control the difference between the load and the spring force, and the oscillating operation of the worm gear causes the arm to swing through rotation of the worm wheel and rotation of the shaft. concatenates worm and wheel mechanism to lower the seated the bathers and (14, 15), one end of the other end to the spring axis of the second lever A second lever-spring shaft connecting pin (17a), a roller (17b) mounted on the second lever-spring shaft connecting pin, a worm and wheel mechanism and the spring, and the roller There is provided a bathing care assisting device comprising a guide (1e) for guiding along the expansion and contraction direction of the spring . Note that the reference numerals of the drawings should be attached for accurate understanding of the correspondence relationship between the claimed invention and the description of the claims and the description (detailed description of the invention), The invention-specific matters are not specified only by the reference numerals.
[0005]
The operation of the bathing care assisting device of the present invention will be described. In the bathing care assisting device of the present invention, a suspension load due to the weight of the bather is applied to one end of the arm, and a spring force that opposes the suspension load acts on the other end of the arm. The difference between the suspension load acting on the arm and the spring force is compensated by the worm and wheel mechanism, so that the rotation stop state of the arm is maintained. When the bather is lifted or lowered, the caregiver or the like manually operates the warm-and-wheel mechanism, so that the arm is rotated and the bather is lifted or lowered. At this time, if the caregiver stops the manual operation, the rotation of the arm is automatically stopped by the self-locking mechanism exhibited by the worm and wheel mechanism.
[0006]
According to the bathing care apparatus of the present invention, the force for rotating the axis of the force acting on each of the arm and the lever varies depending on the angular position of the rotating arm, the angular position of the spring acting arm, and the elastic force of the spring. In any case, the difference in the canceling direction is small, and the worm and wheel mechanism can be easily operated with a relatively small force even manually.
[0007]
In addition, the advantages of manual operation are illustrated below:
(1) Fine adjustment possible;
(2) If the operation of the worm and wheel mechanism is stopped, it stops immediately, that is, there is no overrun;
(3) Misoperation can be judged immediately;
(4) The operation is slow and feels gentle;
[0008]
Further, according to the bathing care apparatus of the present invention, when a bather or the like is immersed in the bathtub, buoyancy acts on the arm, and outside the bathtub, the buoyancy does not act on the arm, and the arm is rotated. The force required for the above changes depending on the angle of the arm (see FIG. 5A). On the other hand, the spring force acting on the arm changes due to both the change of the linear acting force of the spring and the angle of the lever (see FIG. 5B). Thus, the force required to stop the arm varies depending on the presence or absence of buoyancy and the angle of the arm. According to the bathing care apparatus of the present invention, the action structure of the spring acting on the arm via the swing shaft,
And the force according to the change of the force required to stop the arm is generated by the worm and wheel mechanism.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0010]
The bathing care apparatus of the present invention includes a wheelchair or a seat, a detaching mechanism between a wheelchair and a seat, and a detaching mechanism between a seat and an arm disclosed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-17507 or 2001-161780. Etc. can be applied.
[0011]
In the bathing care apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the arm can be moved in parallel or rotated in the horizontal direction. This makes it easy to move the seated bather between the washing area and the bathtub in the horizontal direction. For example, if the arm is moved horizontally, a traverse rail is installed in the bathroom, while if the arm is rotated, a pole is installed in the bathroom and the member on which the arm is pivoted is swiveled. Install as possible.
[0012]
The bathing care assisting device of the present invention can be operated with a small operating force by the action of a spring that generates a force that cancels the suspension load of the arm and the boosting action exhibited by the worm and wheel mechanism. . Therefore, the bathing care assisting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention operates by manually operating the worm and wheel mechanism. In some cases, the worm and wheel mechanism can be driven by an operation method other than manual operation.
[0013]
【Example】
In order to further clarify the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above, an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a bathing care assisting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operation diagram of FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the lifting portion and the self-locking mechanism of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a skeleton diagram of FIG.
[0015]
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, bath care assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, a rotatable shaft 5, the swingable shaft 5 in the vertical direction with the rotation of the shaft 5 by an arm 2 hanging the bather seated on seat 30 and the seat 30 at one end thereof, swingably at one end in the vertical direction with the rotation of the shaft 5 by Rukoto mounted on the shaft 5, the A first lever 2a having one end attached to the other end of the arm via a shaft, and a second lever 16 having one end connected to the other end of the first lever 2a so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. A spring shaft 17 having one end connected to the other end of the second lever 16 and movable in the vertical direction; a suspension shaft connected to the other end of the spring shaft 17 to expand and contract in the vertical direction; To cancel the suspended load corresponding to the lower load A spring 20 for transmitting the spring force spring shaft 17, via the second lever 16 and the first lever 2a and the shaft 5 to the arm 2, attached to the shaft 5 so that the shaft 5 is its axis of rotation shaft 5 A worm wheel 15 that rotates about the horizontal axis with the rotation of the arm 2 and the swing of the arm 2, and a worm gear 14 that meshes with the worm wheel 15, and controls the difference between the suspension load and the spring force. The worm that acts on the arm 2 through the shaft 5 and swings the arm 2 through the rotation of the worm wheel 15 and the rotation of the shaft 5 by rotating the worm gear and moves the bather seated on the seat 30 up and down. And wheel mechanism (14, 15). In the worm and wheel mechanism (14, 15), the worm wheel 15 rotates integrally with the arm 2, and the worm gear 14 meshes with the worm wheel 15. By manually operating the operation handle 10, the worm gear 14 and the worm wheel 15 rotate, and the arm 2 swings in the vertical direction.
[0016]
The arm 2 is pivotally supported on the case 1 a of the main body 1 via a shaft (rotatable shaft) 5 that rotates integrally with the arm 2. The case 1a is attached to a pole 1b installed in the bathroom so as to be stationary at least in the vertical direction. Pipes 1c and 1d extending in the horizontal direction are attached to the pole 1b in order to stably mount the pole 1a. The arm 2 is formed in a bell crank shape. A tension rod 3 is connected to the arm 2 via a pin 6 and a pin 8. A bracket 4 is connected to the arm 2 and the tension rod 3 via a pin 7 and a pin 8, respectively. The arm 2, the tension rod 3 and the bracket 4 form a parallel panda graph mechanism. The bracket 4 moves while maintaining a certain posture. A hanger catch 9 is attached to the bracket 4. The hanger catch 9 is formed with engaging portions 9a and 9b.
[0017]
The seat 30 and the wheelchair 41 will be described. The hanger 31 of the seat 30 is formed with engaged portions 31a and 31b that engage with the engaging portions 9a and 9b when the seat 30 is transferred from the wheelchair 41 to the bathing care assisting device. The seat 30 includes a pipe portion 31 c that engages with the pipe portion 44 of the wheelchair 41 when the seat 30 is attached to the wheelchair 41. The seat 30 includes a footrest 31d. The wheelchair 41 includes a seat lock mechanism 42 that releasably locks the pipe portion 31 c and a wheel lock mechanism 43.
[0018]
The lift portion will be described in detail. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , one end of the first lever 2 a is attached (fixed) to the shaft (rotatable shaft) 5. The other end of the first lever 2a, one end of the second lever 16 is swingably connected through a pin 16a. A spring shaft 17 is swingably connected to the other end of the second lever 16 via a second lever-spring shaft connecting pin 17a. A roller 17b is mounted on the second lever-spring shaft connecting pin 17a. The case 1a is formed with a roller guide 1e which is located between the worm and wheel mechanism (14, 15) and the spring 20 and guides the roller 17b along the expansion / contraction direction of the spring 20 (the axial direction of the spring shaft 17). ing. By this mechanism, the spring 20 is not displaced and contact with the spring case 1a does not occur. A spring seat 18 is supported on the spring shaft 17 by a nut 21 so that its position can be adjusted. A spring receiver 19 is formed in the case 1a. A spring 20 incorporated in the case 1a is interposed between the spring seats 18 and 19 for compression.
[0019]
The worm and wheel mechanism (self-locking mechanism) will be described in detail. 3 and 4, a worm wheel 15 is fixed to the shaft 5 so as to rotate integrally. Womugi A 14 is meshed with the worm wheel 15. Womugi A 14 manually by via a universal joint 12 and the gearbox 11 extends to the side of the spring 20 in the vertical direction is connected the operating handle 10, the force of the rotational operation of the operating handle 10 is transmitted Operated .
[0020]
The operation of the bathing care assisting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0021]
When the caregiver bathes the bather using the bathing care assisting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the caregiver puts the bather on the seat 30 attached to the wheelchair 41, and the bathing care provided in the bathroom. Carry to the front of the auxiliary device. The caregiver operates the wheel lock mechanism 43 to place the wheelchair 41 in place. The caregiver releases the seat lock mechanism 42 and suspends the seat 30 to the arm 2 side. The caregiver operates the operation handle 10 in a predetermined direction, swings the arm 2 upward, and raises the bather together with the seat 30. At this time, since the assisting force for supporting the bather is acting on the arm 2 by the spring force of the spring 20, the caregiver can operate the operating handle 10 with a small operating force. The caregiver moves the bather from the washing place onto the bathtub by turning the arm 2 or moving the entire body 1 of the bathing care apparatus in the horizontal direction. The caregiver operates the operation handle 10 in the opposite direction to lower the arm 2 and immerses the bather in hot water in the bathtub. At this time, buoyancy acts on the bather and the seat 31, and this buoyancy acts as a force for raising the arm 2. However, since the self-locking mechanism including the worm gear 14 and the worm wheel 15 prevents the arm 2 from swinging against the intention of the caregiver, the bather can be sufficiently immersed in hot water.
[0022]
FIG. 5 (A) is a graph showing the relationship between the moment generated by the body weight of the bather and the arm angle in the bath or outside the bath (without hot water) in the bathing care apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a graph for explaining the spring force generated by the apparatus and the relationship between the spring moment and the arm angle caused by the spring force.
[0023]
Referring to FIG. 5A, the moment with respect to the arm 2 (see FIG. 2) changes as the bather immerses in hot water. According to the bathing care apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, this moment change is absorbed by the self-locking mechanism. 5B, according to the bathing care apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the spring force generated by the spring 20 (see FIG. 3) is linear with respect to the swing angle of the arm 2. In contrast, the moment generated by the spring 20 changes according to a predetermined curve with respect to the swing angle of the arm 2. That is, similar to the change in moment generated by the weight of the bather shown in FIG. 5, the caregiver always rotates the operation handle 10 with an appropriate small operating force by changing the moment generated by the spring 20. Can do.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, there is provided a bathing care assisting device that has a simple structure, can reduce the number of parts, is less likely to break down, is easy to perform maintenance and inspection, has few failure points, and can be operated with a small operating force. It is to be. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to simplify the structure of the mechanism that supports the weight of the bather, the buoyancy caused by the bather being immersed in hot water, and the load such as the weight of the bather. There is provided a bathing care assisting device that prevents the bather from moving up and down even when there is an imbalance with the force generated by the mechanism that supports the weight of the bather.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a bathing care assisting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an operation diagram of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the lifting portion and the self-locking mechanism of FIG. 1;
4 is a skeleton diagram of FIG. 3. FIG.
FIG. 5A is a graph showing the relationship between the moment generated by the body weight of a bather in and out of hot water and the arm angle in the bathing care apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a graph for demonstrating the relationship between the spring force and spring moment which the same apparatus generate | occur | produces, and an arm angle.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 body 1a case 1b pole 1c, 1d pipe 1e guide 2 arm 2a first lever 3 tension rod 4 bracket 5 shaft 6-pin 7-pin 8-pin 9 Hanger catch 9a, 9b engaging portion 10 operating handle 11 gearbox 12 Universal Joint 14 Worm gear 15 Worm wheel 16 Second lever 16a Pin 17 Spring shaft 17a Second lever-spring shaft connecting pin 17b Roller 18 Spring seat 19 Spring receiver 20 Spring 21 Nut 30 Seat 31 Hanger 31a, 31b Engaged portion 31c Pipe portion 31d Footrest 41 Wheelchair 42 Seat lock mechanism 43 Wheel lock mechanism 44 Pipe portion

Claims (2)

A rotatable shaft (5) ;
An arm (2) that is attached to the shaft so as to be swingable in the vertical direction as the shaft rotates, and that suspends a seat and a bather seated on the seat at one end thereof;
The first lever (2a that vertically swingably at one end with the rotation of the shaft by Rukoto attached to the shaft at one end thereof attached to the other end of the arm via the shaft ) And
A second lever (16) connected to the other end of the first lever so that one end of the first lever can swing in the vertical direction;
A spring shaft (17) having one end connected to the other end of the second lever and movable in the vertical direction;
The spring shaft is connected to the other end of the spring shaft and expands and contracts in the vertical direction, and a spring force that cancels the suspension load corresponding to the suspension load applied to the arm is applied to the spring shaft and the second lever. And a spring (20) for transmitting to the arm via the first lever and the shaft;
Said shaft is attached to the shaft so that its rotation axis with the rotation and swinging of the arm of the shaft, a worm wheel (15) for rotating the horizontal shaft as the center of rotation, said worm wheel meshing A worm gear (14) that acts on the arm via the shaft so as to control a difference between the suspension load and the spring force, and the rotation of the worm wheel and the rotation of the shaft by the rotation operation of the worm gear. A worm and wheel mechanism (14, 15) for swinging the arm through rotation and moving the bather seated on the seat up and down;
A second lever-spring shaft connecting pin (17a) for connecting the other end of the second lever and one end of the spring shaft;
A roller (17b) attached to the second lever-spring shaft connecting pin;
A guide (1e) located between the worm and wheel mechanism and the spring and guiding the roller along the direction of expansion and contraction of the spring;
A bathing care assisting device characterized by comprising: The worm and wheel mechanism is connected to the operation handle (10) for rotating the worm gear and the worm gear and the operation handle to transmit the rotational operation force of the operation handle and extend to the side of the spring. The bathing care assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the bathing care assisting device is manually operated by a universal joint (12) .

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