JP4470580B2 - Electric wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair in which the forward / backward direction, the steering direction, and the traveling speed are controlled by individually controlling the rotational speed and the rotational direction of left and right drive wheels.

  Generally, there are two types of electric wheelchairs. One of them is, for example, a cart-type electric wheelchair as exemplified in Patent Document 1 below, and this type of electric wheelchair has a front wheel or a rear wheel as a steering wheel and is connected to a handle lever. Thus, the steering wheel is configured so that the occupant can turn the vehicle left and right to steer the vehicle. This type of electric wheelchair is generally referred to as a “self-operating handle type electric wheelchair”.

The second type of electric wheelchair, for example, as illustrated in Patent Document 2 below, independently drives the left and right drive wheels with the corresponding left and right motors, and the rotational speed of each drive wheel. By providing a difference between the two, the vehicle is steered left and right (turned). In this type of electric wheelchair, for example, a single joystick lever is used for steering operation by an occupant, and the rotational speed and rotational direction of the left and right drive wheels are determined by the joystick lever tilt angle in the front-rear direction and the left-right tilt angle. By individually controlling, the forward / backward direction, the steering direction, and the traveling speed are controlled. This type of electric wheelchair is generally called a “self-operated standard electric wheelchair”.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-16788 JP-A-8-322110

  However, both types of electric wheelchairs have advantages and disadvantages. In other words, the self-operating handle type electric wheelchair has an advantage that it can be operated with the same steering feeling as that of an automobile. However, since the two wheels are normally driven by a single motor through a differential gear, there is a disadvantage that the turning radius is large and the small turn cannot be achieved. Therefore, this electric wheelchair is often used mainly for outdoor travel.

  On the other hand, the self-operating standard electric wheelchair has advantages in that it has a small turn and can be rotated on the spot (spin turn). Therefore, this electric wheelchair is often used mainly for indoor traveling. However, since all instructions for steering, forward / reverse movement, and traveling speed must be given with a single joystick lever, there is a problem that it takes time for the user to master steering. In particular, since the steering direction in the case of reverse travel is different from that of the automobile, there is a problem that it is difficult for an occupant accustomed to the steering feeling of the automobile to be familiar with steering by the joystick lever.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric wheelchair that can be steered and can be operated with a control feeling similar to that of an automobile.

In order to achieve the above object, the electric wheelchair according to claim 1 of the present invention drives the left and right drive wheels (12) independently by the corresponding left and right motors (19), and the rotational speed of each drive wheel and In the electric wheelchair that controls the forward / backward direction, the steering direction, and the traveling speed by individually controlling the rotation direction, the accelerator lever (22) for instructing the increase / decrease of the traveling speed and the depression amount of the accelerator lever are detected. Te accelerator hand stage including a potentiometer (24) for outputting an accelerator signal ([theta] h), the handle and the handle (21) for instructing the steering direction of the wheel chair by the rotation operation in the lateral direction (21) a helmsman stage including a potentiometer (25) for outputting a detecting a rotation angle steering signal (.phi.h), was to switch instruction the traveling direction of the wheel chair in the forward / backward When the forward / reverse switching signal (F / R) from the forward / reverse switching means (23) indicates forward, the forward / reverse switching means (23) for outputting the forward / reverse switching signal (F / R) for While the accelerator signal (θh) output from the accelerator means and the steering signal (φh) output from the steering means are output as they are, the forward / reverse switching signal (F / R) from the forward / reverse switching means (23) is output. In the case of indicating reverse, the signal conversion means (40) for inverting and outputting the accelerator signal (θh) output from the accelerator means and the steering signal (φh) output from the steering means, and the signal conversion means based on the accelerator signal (.theta.H) and the steering signal output (.phi.H), and having a control means (10) for controlling the left and right motors.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to maneuver in a maneuvering feeling similar to that of an automobile with a small turn.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a left side view of an electric wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the electric wheelchair, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the electric wheelchair. Hereinafter, the left and right and front and rear directions of the electric wheelchair will be referred to as the occupant.

  This electric wheelchair has a seat 9 on which a passenger can sit alone, and a backrest 18 is provided at the rear of the seat 9. Armrests 17 (17L, 17R) are provided on the left and right sides of the seat 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the armrest 17 </ b> L is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction around the rotation fulcrum portion 16.

  The electric wheelchair also has a pair of left and right front wheels 12 (12L, 12R) and a rear wheel 13 (13L, 13R). The front wheel 12 is a drive wheel and has a larger diameter than the rear wheel 13. The rear wheel 13 is a driven wheel and is supported by a caster shaft 15. A footrest 14 is provided in front of the front wheel 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the front wheels 12 </ b> L and 12 </ b> R are individually provided with electric motors 19 (left motor 19 </ b> L and right motor 19 </ b> R). 12R is rotationally driven independently. As shown in FIG. 1, a controller 10 is disposed below the seating seat 9, and a battery 11 for power supply is installed in front of the controller 10. As will be described later, a self-operating handle-type control device (hereinafter simply referred to as “handle-type control device”) 30 is provided at the front portion of the armrest 17 so as to be openable and closable in the horizontal direction.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view of the electric wheelchair at the time of swing-out of the handle type steering device 30 for self-operation, and FIG. 5 is a left side view of the electric wheelchair at the time of swing-out.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the handle-type control device 30 includes a control unit 20 fixed to an arm 31. A pivot fulcrum 33 is provided at the front end of the armrest 17R (see FIGS. 3 and 4), and the right end 31a of the arm 31 is pivotally supported by the pivot fulcrum 33 so that the arm 31 pivots. The fulcrum part 33 is pivotable in the horizontal direction. The left end 31b of the arm 31 is provided with a lock mechanism 32. By using this lock mechanism 32, the left end 31b of the arm 31 can be locked and unlocked to the front end of the armrest 17L. .

  During traveling, the arm 31 and the armrest 17L are in a “closed state” as shown in FIGS. Since the arm 31 guards the front of the occupant, there is a sense of security. On the other hand, when the occupant gets on and off, the arm 31 swings out, that is, in the “open state” as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the armrest 17L is centered on the pivot fulcrum 16 as shown in FIG. Rotate upward. Thereby, it can get on and off easily from the wide open part which can be made forward and left.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 20 is disposed at an intermediate position between the right end 31 a and the left end 31 b of the arm 31. The control unit 20 includes an accelerator lever 22 for adjusting the traveling speed of the vehicle (the electric wheelchair), a handle 21 for instructing the steering direction of the vehicle, and a forward (F) / reverse (R) vehicle traveling direction. F / R switch (SW) 23 for switching to) is provided. In addition, the steering control device 30 also includes a signal conversion circuit 40 described later. The steering control device 30 is configured integrally with the arm 31 by unitizing the steering unit 20 and the signal conversion circuit 40. . The handle type control device 30 is configured to be detachable from the main body of the electric wheelchair, for example, at the rotation fulcrum portion 33.

  The accelerator lever 22 is a push-type operator that is pressed in one direction, and returns to a non-pressed state when the press is released. The handle 21 is rotated in the left-right direction. The F / R switch 23 is a seesaw type operator, and either forward (F) or reverse (R) is exclusively turned on.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 20 detects the amount of depression of the accelerator lever 22 and outputs the accelerator signal θh, and detects the turning angle of the handle 21 and outputs the steering signal φh. An output potentiometer 25 is included. The accelerator signal θh, the steering signal φh, and the F / R signal indicating the pressed state of the F / R switch 23 are all input to the signal conversion circuit 40.

  In general, in a “self-operated standard electric wheelchair” operated by a joystick lever or the like, the joystick lever is arranged to be biased to the left and right sides. Is positioned in the center of the arm 31 in the vehicle width direction, and the occupant can handle the steering wheel 21 positioned in front of the vehicle with both hands, and is easy to operate.

  Next, the control mechanism of the electric wheelchair will be described. As will be described below, the electric wheelchair can be operated by the same steering as the “self-operating steering wheel electric wheelchair” while using the control mechanism of the “self-operating standard electric wheelchair”. It has become.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism of the electric wheelchair together with a standard control device for self-operation. In the control mechanism of the electric wheelchair, the controller 10 and the control unit 20 are connected via a signal conversion circuit 40, the left motor 19 </ b> L and the right motor 19 </ b> R are connected to the controller 10, and the controller 10 is powered from the battery 11. Is configured to be supplied.

  The standard control device for self-operation (hereinafter simply referred to as “standard control device”) 130 shown in FIG. 13 is not provided in the electric wheelchair according to the present embodiment, but is replaced with the handle-type control device 30. By attaching and connecting to the controller 10, the electric wheelchair can be a “self-operated standard electric wheelchair”. That is, the standard type control device 130 and the handle type control device 30 can be alternatively selected and connected to the controller 10.

  The main part of the standard control device 130 has a known configuration as disclosed in Patent Document 2 above. That is, the joystick lever 131 can be rotated back and forth (tilt operation) from the neutral position where the joystick lever 131 stands upright, and the output signal θj corresponding to the rotation angle in the front-rear direction and the rotation angle in the left-right direction can be obtained. A corresponding output signal φj is output to the controller 10. The output signal θj is a positive value (+) when the joystick lever 131 is rotated forward from the neutral position, and is a negative value (−) when the joystick lever 131 is rotated backward. The output signal φj has a negative value (−) when rotated leftward from the neutral position, and has a positive value (+) when rotated rightward.

  When the standard control device 130 is mounted and the output signal θj and the output signal φj are input from the standard control device 130 to the controller 10, the controller 10 determines that the occupant is based on the output signal θj and the output signal φj. , The traveling direction, the steering direction, and the traveling speed are determined, and the control signals NL and NR corresponding to the traveling direction are calculated, and these are sent to the left motor 19L and the right motor 19R. As a result, the front wheels 12L and 12R rotate in the rotation direction and the rotation speed according to the control signals NL and NR. Such a control method is a known method as disclosed in Patent Document 2 and the like.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the rotation of the left and right motors 19L and 19R by the operation of the joystick lever 131 when the standard type control device 130 is mounted.

  In the figure, the neutral position of the joystick lever 131 is indicated by 101, and the maximum movable range of the joystick lever 131 around the neutral position 101 is indicated by 102. The maximum number of rotations of both motors 19 is 100 (%), and the sign (+) indicates that the front wheel 12 rotates forward (counterclockwise as viewed from the left side), and the sign (−) indicates that the front wheel 12 is Indicates backward rotation.

  For example, when the joystick lever 131 is tilted to the position p0, both motors 19 rotate at +100 (%) (forward rotation), and the vehicle moves straight forward. Similarly, when tilted to the position p1, the left and right motors 19L and 19R rotate at (+100, 0) (%), respectively, and the vehicle turns to the front in the traveling direction and to the right (clockwise forward). When tilted to the position p2, the left and right motors 19L and 19R rotate at (+100, −100) (%), respectively, and a so-called right spin turn in which the vehicle rotates clockwise on the spot. On the other hand, when the joystick lever 131 is tilted to the position p3 behind the center in the front-rear direction, the left and right motors 19L, 19R rotate at (0, -100) (%), respectively, and the vehicle is rearward in the traveling direction and left Turn to the right (clockwise backward). Similarly, when tilted to position p4, both motors 19 rotate at -100 (%) (reverse rotation), and the vehicle moves straight backward. With respect to the positions p5, p6, and p7, the operation is symmetrical with respect to the cases of the positions p3, p2, and p1.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the traveling and turning directions of the electric wheelchair in comparison with the case where the handle type control device 30 is attached and the case where the standard type control device 130 is attached.

  When the standard control device 130 is mounted, the traveling and turning directions of the vehicle are indicated by F (j) and R (j) in FIG. That is, when the joystick lever 131 is tilted forward and right from the neutral position 101 (near position p1 in FIG. 7), the vehicle turns forward and right in the traveling direction, and tilts backward and right from the neutral position 101. (In the vicinity of position p3 in FIG. 7), the vehicle turns rearward and leftward in the traveling direction (backward clockwise).

  Therefore, for example, when the joystick lever 131 is tilted from the front to the rear at the right side of the neutral position 101, the rotational speed of the motors 19 changes but the rotational direction does not change when switching from the front to the rear. . This is because if the rotational direction of the front wheels 12 as drive wheels is suddenly reversed, the behavior of the vehicle is suddenly changed, which is not preferable. Therefore, the rotational direction of the front wheels 12 is continuously changed. .

  Returning to FIG. 6, from the control unit 20 of the steering control device 30, the accelerator signal θh, the steering signal φh, and the F / R signal based on the operations of the accelerator lever 22, the handle 21, and the F / R switch 23 are converted into a signal conversion circuit. 40 is output. The accelerator signal θh is “0” when the accelerator lever 22 is not pressed, and becomes a positive value (+) corresponding to the pressed amount when pressed. Further, the steering signal φh is “0” when the handle 21 is located at the center in the left-right direction, a negative value (−) when the handle 21 is rotated leftward from the center, and when the handle 21 is rotated rightward from the center. Becomes a positive value (+).

  The signal conversion circuit 40 converts the input accelerator signal θh and steering signal φh based on the input F / R signal and outputs the converted signal to the controller 10. Specifically, when the F / R signal is “F”, the signal conversion circuit 40 outputs the accelerator signal θH and the steering signal φH as they are without inverting the signs of the accelerator signal θh and the steering signal φh. . In this case, θH = + θh and φH = + φh. On the other hand, when the F / R signal is “R”, the signal conversion circuit 40 inverts the signs of the accelerator signal θh and the steering signal φh and outputs them as the accelerator signal θH and the steering signal φH. In this case, θH = −θh and φH = −φh.

  Upon receiving θH and φH, the controller 10 calculates control signals NL and NR based on these and outputs them to the left motor 19L and the right motor 19R. The calculation at this time is exactly the same as the calculation based on the output signal θj and the output signal φj when the standard control device 130 is mounted. Specifically, θH and φH are regarded as θj and φj (assuming θj and φj), and the same calculation as described above is performed.

  FIG. 9A is a conceptual diagram showing a correspondence relationship between the accelerator signal θh and the F / R signal input to the signal conversion circuit 40 and the vehicle forward / reverse speed. FIG. 9B is a conceptual diagram showing a correspondence relationship between the steering signal φh and the F / R signal input to the signal conversion circuit 40 and the steering mode of the vehicle.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the F / R signal is “F”, the vehicle traveling speed becomes a value (forward) on the straight line L1 (F) corresponding to the accelerator signal θh. . On the other hand, when the F / R signal is “R”, the value (reverse) on the straight line L1 (R) corresponds to the accelerator signal θh. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the degree of steering, that is, the curvature of vehicle turning (1 / vehicle turning radius) is straight line L2 (F) when the F / R signal is “F”. Above, the value is in accordance with the steering signal φh (+ steering to the right, − to steering to the left). On the other hand, when the F / R signal is “R”, the value on the straight line L2 (R) corresponds to the steering signal φh (--right steering, ++ left steering).

  Incidentally, when the signals θH and φH input to the controller 10 are + θh and + φh, the control signals NL and NR generated by the calculation are operated in the first half of the movable range in which the joystick lever 131 is in front of the neutral position 101. Is exactly the same as

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the rotation of the left and right motors 19L and 19R by the operation of the handle 21 and the F / R switch 23 when the handle type control device 30 is mounted. In the figure, for the sake of explanation, it is assumed that the depressed state of the accelerator lever 22 does not change (for example, the fully opened state is maintained). Moreover, in the same figure, the rotation directions of the left and right motors 19L and 19R are shown in parallel on the left and right by arrows. The upward / downward arrows indicate that the motors 19 rotate in the forward / rearward direction, and the length of each arrow indicates the rotational speed. Further, the arrows are indicated by solid / dotted lines corresponding to “F” / “R” of the F / R signal.

  As shown in the figure, for example, in a state s11 corresponding to a state in which the F / R signal is “F” and the handle 21 is rotated about half to the right, the left motor 19L is rotated forward and the right motor 19R is substantially It will be stopped. In this state, when only the F / R switch 23 is operated and the F / R signal is switched to “R”, the state becomes s12, the left motor 19L is switched to the backward rotation, and the right motor 19R is substantially stopped. maintain.

  Therefore, in the above-described case, the vehicle turns forward while proceeding forward in the state s11 (see F (h) in FIG. 8), but enters the state s12 by operating the F / R switch 23. The traveling direction is switched to the reverse direction, but the turning direction is also switched to the right (backward counterclockwise), which matches the steering feeling of the automobile (see R (h) in FIG. 8).

  In order to prevent the rotation direction of the motor 19 from changing suddenly when the F / R signal is switched, in the present embodiment, the rotation direction is reversed after the rotation of both the motors 19 is temporarily stopped. . Note that the F / R switch 23 may be operated only when both the motors 19 are stopped rotating.

  By the way, the signal conversion circuit 40 only needs to convert a signal, and various configurations are conceivable. For example, the configuration shown in FIG. 11 is adopted in the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram showing the control unit 20 in addition to the signal conversion circuit 40.

As shown in the figure , the accelerator signal θh that is the amount of depression of the accelerator lever 22 is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the inverting amplifier 45, the changeover switch 41, and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 51. The output terminal of the inverting amplifier 45 is connected to the changeover switch 42, and the output terminals of the changeover switches 41 and 42 are connected to the θH output terminal 47. The F / R switch 23 becomes “High” when closed, corresponds to the output of the “F” signal among the F / R signals, and becomes “Low” when opened, and “R” Corresponds to the output of the signal. The F / R signal is supplied to the changeover switches 41 and 43 as it is, inverted by the NOT circuit 49 and supplied to the changeover switches 42 and 44 as well.

A steering signal φh that is the rotation angle of the handle 21 is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the inverting amplifier 46 and the changeover switch 43. The output terminal of the inverting amplifier 46 is connected to the changeover switch 44, and the output terminals of the changeover switches 43 and 44 are connected to the φH output terminal 48 via the changeover switch 50.

  When the steering control device 30 is mounted, the θH output terminal 47 and the φH output terminal 48 are connected to corresponding input terminals (not shown) of the controller 10. Then, the accelerator signal θH and the steering signal φH supplied from the θH output terminal 47 and the φH output terminal 48, which are outputs of the signal conversion circuit 40, are input to the controller 10 as described above.

  The accelerator signal θh of the accelerator lever 22 is 2.5 (V) in the fully closed state and 0.5 (V) in the fully opened state, and the steering signal φh of the handle 21 is 0. 5 (V), 4.5 (V) in the state of being rotated to the rightmost, and both continuously change. The inverting amplifiers 45 and 46 invert the input signal and output it. For the changeover switches 41 and 42, only one of the outputs is selectively output to the θH output terminal 47 in accordance with the F / R signal.

  In such a circuit configuration, for example, when the F / R signal is “F” (“High”), the changeover switch 41 is turned on, the changeover switch 42 is turned off, and the accelerator signal θh from the accelerator lever 22 is changed over. The signal is output to the θH output terminal 47 through the switch 41. On the other hand, when the F / R signal is “R” (“Low”), the changeover switch 41 is turned off, the changeover switch 42 is turned on, and the accelerator signal θh from the accelerator lever 22 is inverted by the inverting amplifier 45. And output to the θH output terminal 47 via the changeover switch 42.

  The same applies to the changeover switches 43 and 44. When the F / R signal is “F”, the changeover switches 43 and 44 are turned on and off, respectively, and the steering signal φh from the steering wheel 21 is changed to the changeover switch 43. , 50 to the φH output terminal 48. On the other hand, when the F / R signal is “R”, the change-over switches 43 and 44 are turned off and on, respectively, and the steering signal φh from the steering wheel 21 is inverted by the inverting amplifier 46 to be changed over. To the φH output terminal 48. Note that a predetermined dead zone is provided by the operational amplifier 51 and the changeover switch 50.

  According to the present embodiment, both the motor 19 and the front wheel 12 are individually controlled and driven to control the forward / reverse direction, the steering direction, and the traveling speed of the vehicle. Advantages similar to those of the “electric wheelchair” can be enjoyed. For example, a small turn and a spin turn are possible. Further, since the steering mechanism is not mechanical but electronic, the operating force of the handle 21 can be arbitrarily changed. On the other hand, since it is possible to steer with the handle 21 instead of the joystick lever, the operation is easy, and in the case of reverse, the steering direction of the vehicle is the same as that of the automobile by the signal reversal by the signal conversion circuit 40. As a result, it is possible to control the vehicle in a manner similar to that of an automobile, including the case of reverse driving. In other words, while having the same operation feeling as that of the “self-operating handle type electric wheelchair”, it is possible to enable a small and flexible steering like the “self-operating standard type electric wheelchair”.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the content of calculation or control by the controller 10 may be the same as that of the “standard control device for self-operation”, and it is not necessary to change the algorithm. The control system can be used as it is, and the delivered wheelchair can be used after the delivery by installing the handle-type control device 30 instead of the “standard control device for self-control” such as the standard control device 130. Can be realized. On the other hand, even if an electric wheelchair is shipped with the handle-type control device 30 attached, a standard control device 130 can be installed instead of the handle-type control device 30, so It can also be a “self-operated standard electric wheelchair”.

  In particular, the control system can be diverted, and the handle-type control device 30 is unitized by including the control unit 20 and the signal conversion circuit 40, and is configured integrally with the arm 31, and is detachable from the vehicle body. In order to change the “self-operated standard type electric wheelchair” to the “self-operating handle type electric wheelchair”, only the physical replacement work is required, and the rearrangement of the control device is easy. In addition, it becomes a desired type of electric wheelchair simply by replacing the control device, and it is not necessary to replace expensive parts such as the controller 10, so that the user is hardly burdened with money.

  In addition, since the handle-type control device 30 can be swinged out, it is easy to get on and off. In addition, since the control unit 20 can be arranged in front of a seated occupant, the occupant can hold the handle 21 with both hands, for example, and can be easily operated. Since the steering mechanism is electronic, the installation position of the control unit 20 can basically be set arbitrarily, and in this respect, it can be said that the degree of freedom in design is high.

  In addition, since the electric wheelchair is a front-wheel drive system in which the front wheels 12 are driven, the turning ability is higher and it is advantageous for overstepping. Furthermore, since the front wheel 12 is not a driven wheel, it is difficult for the front wheel 12 to hit the heel of the occupant, and the foot can be positioned relatively rearward. Moreover, since the front wheel 12 is a fixed wheel, there is also a sense of security.

  In addition, it is desirable that the standard control device 130 is configured to be swingable like the handle control device 30. Note that the joystick lever 131 of the standard control device 130 does not have to be arranged on the left and right sides as usual, and may be arranged in the center in the vehicle width direction.

It is a left view of the electric wheelchair which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the electric wheelchair. It is a top view of the electric wheelchair. It is a top view of the electric wheelchair at the time of swing-out of the handle type steering device for self-operation. It is a left view of the electric wheelchair at the time of swing-out. It is the block diagram which showed together with the control mechanism of this electric wheelchair together with the standard control device for self-operation. It is explanatory drawing which shows rotation of the left-right motor by operation of a joystick lever at the time of mounting | wearing with a standard type control apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which showed the direction of advancing and turning of an electric wheelchair by contrasting the case where a handle type steering device is mounted and the case where a standard type steering device is mounted. The conceptual diagram (FIG. (A)) which shows the correspondence of the accelerator signal and F / R signal which are input into a signal conversion circuit, and the vehicle forward / reverse speed, and the steering signal and F / R which are input into a signal conversion circuit It is a conceptual diagram (figure (b)) which shows the correspondence of a signal and the steering aspect of a vehicle. It is explanatory drawing which shows rotation of the left-right motor by operation of a handle | steering-wheel and a F / R switch in the case of mounting | wearing with a steering wheel type control apparatus. It is the circuit diagram which showed the control part in addition to the signal conversion circuit.

Explanation of symbols

  10 controller (control means), 12 front wheel (drive wheel), 17 armrest, 19 motor, 20 control section, 22 accelerator lever (part of accelerator means), 21 handle (part of steering means), 23 F / R switch (Forward / reverse switching means), 24 potentiometer (a part of accelerator means), 25 potentiometer (a part of steering means), 30 self-operating handle type control device (control device), 31 arm, 33 rotating fulcrum, 40 Signal conversion circuit (signal conversion means), 130 Standard control device for self-operation, 131 Joystick lever (joystick lever type controller), θh accelerator signal, φh steering signal, F / R signal (forward / reverse switching signal), θH accelerator Signal, φH steering signal, θj output signal (output), φj Output signal (output), NL, NR control signal

Claims (4)

The left and right drive wheels (12) are independently driven by the corresponding left and right motors (19), and the rotational speed and direction of each of the drive wheels are individually controlled, so that the forward / backward direction, the steering direction, and the traveling are controlled. In an electric wheelchair that controls the speed,
An accelerator hand stage including a potentiometer (24) for outputting an accelerator signal ([theta] h) accelerator lever for instructing the increase or decrease of the running speed (22) detects the depression amount of the accelerator lever,
A handle (21) for instructing the steering direction of the wheelchair by a turning operation in the left-right direction, and a potentiometer (25) for detecting a turning angle of the handle (21 ) and outputting a steering signal (φh) and helmsman stage including,
Forward / reverse switching means (23) for outputting a forward / reverse switching signal (F / R) for instructing to switch the traveling direction of the wheelchair to forward / reverse,
When the forward / reverse switching signal (F / R) from the forward / reverse switching means (23) indicates forward, the accelerator signal (θh) output from the accelerator means and the steering signal (φh) output from the steering means ) As it is, while the forward / reverse switching signal (F / R) from the forward / reverse switching means (23) indicates reverse, the accelerator signal (θh) output from the accelerator means and the steering means A signal conversion means (40) for inverting and outputting the output steering signal (φh) ;
Based on the accelerator signal (.theta.H) and a steering signal output from said signal converting means (.phi.H), an electric wheelchair and having a control means (10) for controlling the left and right motors. The control means is capable of controlling the left and right motors based on an output related to the operation in the front-rear direction and an output related to the operation in the left-right direction by the joystick lever-type operator (131), and is output from the signal conversion means. The accelerator signal is regarded as an output (θj) related to the operation in the front-rear direction by the joystick lever-type operator, and the steering signal output from the signal converting means is an output (φj related to the left-right operation by the joystick lever-type operator. ) and is regarded, electric wheelchair according to claim 1, characterized in that the control of the left and right motor. The electric wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the accelerator means, the steering means, the forward / reverse switching means and the signal conversion means are unitized and configured as an integrated control device (30). The left and right armrests (17) are provided, and the control device is mounted between the front end portions of the left and right armrests and mounted on one front end portion of the left and right armrests ( 33. The electric wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the electric wheelchair is configured to be pivotable about 33) to be opened and closed.

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