JP7352188B2 - wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wheelchair.

Wheelchairs are used by the elderly and physically disabled people. Such wheelchair users may also get on and off vehicles such as automobiles. At this time, the wheelchair user may get on and off the vehicle with the assistance of an assistant, or the wheelchair user may get on and off the vehicle by himself.

An example of a configuration for assisting a wheelchair user to get on and off a vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a getting on/off assisting mechanism including an arm pivotally supported by a seat back that constitutes a backrest part of a vehicle seat, and a getting on/off plate attached to the tip of the arm.

The arm is pivotally supported by the frame on the door side of the seatback, and the straight part of the tip can rotate between a posture along the side of the seatback and a posture along the side of the seat seat. There is. The board is rotatable relative to the tip of the arm, and in the open state is approximately parallel to the seat portion, with the other end protruding out of the door. A hook for locking the frame of the wheelchair is provided at the tip of the board.

The getting on/off assist mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 is such that when a wheelchair user gets on or off the vehicle, the getting on/off plate is opened and the hook is locked to the frame of the wheelchair, and the board is connected to the seat of the wheelchair via the getting on/off plate. It is configured to assist in moving between the seat and the seat of the vehicle.

Utility Model Publication No. 07-31456

However, the getting-on/off assist mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the seat and the wheelchair are locked through an arm and a getting-on/off board, which are separate members from the vehicle seat and the wheelchair. The wheelchair may become unstable when getting on and off the vehicle.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelchair that can be stably fixed to a vehicle when a wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle. purpose.

A wheelchair according to one aspect of the present invention includes a seating portion on which a wheelchair user sits, a body frame that supports the seated person, wheels rotatably supported by the body frame, and a vehicle entrance that opens and closes. The door is provided with an engaging portion capable of engaging with a door provided in the trim member of the door, the engaging portion forming a recess in the trim member formed on the interior side of the door. It is characterized by having a structure that can be engaged with a pocket .

According to this configuration, the engaging portion of the wheelchair can engage with the door that opens and closes the entrance/exit of the vehicle. Therefore, since the wheelchair and the vehicle are directly connected without intervening separate members, it is possible to stably fix the wheelchair to the vehicle when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.

In the wheelchair described above, the engaging portion has a configuration capable of engaging with a recessed portion of a trim member formed on the interior side of the door.

According to this configuration, the wheelchair can be easily and stably fixed to the door by the engaging portion engaging with the recess formed on the interior side of the door. Therefore, the wheelchair user can easily transfer from the wheelchair to the seat of the vehicle. Furthermore, after the user has transferred to the seat, the fixed state between the wheelchair and the vehicle can be easily released by removing the engaging portion from the recessed portion of the door.

Further, in the wheelchair described above, the recessed portion is formed by a door pocket provided in the trim member of the door, and the engaging portion has a configuration capable of engaging with the door pocket .

According to this configuration, the engaging portion can easily fix the wheelchair to the door by engaging with the recess formed by the door pocket. Furthermore, by using an existing door pocket to secure the wheelchair, there is no need to form a recess in the door specifically for securing the wheelchair. As a result, there is no need to change or modify the vehicle to secure the wheelchair.

A wheelchair according to another aspect of the present invention includes a seating portion on which a wheelchair user sits, a body frame that supports the seated person, wheels rotatably supported by the body frame, and a vehicle entrance/exit. The device is characterized in that it includes an engaging portion that can engage with a door to be opened and closed, and that the engaging portion has a lower end engaging portion that can engage with a lower end portion of the door.

According to this configuration, the engaging portion of the wheelchair can engage with the door that opens and closes the entrance/exit of the vehicle. Therefore, since the wheelchair and the vehicle are directly connected without intervening separate members, it is possible to stably fix the wheelchair to the vehicle when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.
Furthermore, in the above configuration, the lower end engaging portion of the engaging portion engages with the lower end portion of the door, thereby making it possible to easily fix the wheelchair to the door. With this configuration, it is possible to easily fix the wheelchair to the door, especially in a vehicle with a high vehicle height.

In the wheelchair according to each aspect described above, the wheelchair can be stably fixed to the vehicle when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which the wheelchair according to the embodiment of the present invention is disposed near an open front door at an entrance on the side of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the front door of FIG. 1 viewed from inside the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a side view of the wheelchair of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wheelchair of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the wheelchair showing a state in which the seating portion of FIG. 4 is separated from the body frame. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the vicinity of the front door showing a state in which the wheelchair is fixed to the front door by the hook of the engaging portion shown in FIG. 3 engaging with the door pocket of the front door. It is a side view of the wheelchair in which the hook of the engaging part is provided upward in a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which the wheelchair is fixed to the front door by the hook of the engaging portion shown in FIG. 7 engaging with the lower end of the front door.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the form described below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following form in any way except for its essential configuration.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair 11 of this embodiment has a configuration that can be fixed to a front door 4 that opens and closes an entrance/exit 3 formed on a side surface of a vehicle 1.

Specifically, the vehicle 1 in FIG. 1 includes a vehicle body 2 having a doorway 3, a front door 4 and a rear door 5 that close the doorway 3, and a seat 6 attached inside the vehicle body 2. In FIG. 1, the front door 4 and the rear door 5 have a double-door configuration (that is, a configuration that opens at the mating surfaces of the front door 4 and rear door 5). The entrance/exit 3 is formed by a side sill forming the lower edge of the entrance/exit 3, pillars extending upward from both front and rear ends of the side sill, and an upper rail.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front door 4 includes a door body 4a and a door pocket 4b1 provided in a trim member 4b attached to a surface of the door body 4a facing toward the interior of the vehicle. The door pocket 4b1 bulges toward the inside of the vehicle and opens toward the inside of the vehicle so as to accommodate small items. In this configuration, the door pocket 4b1 has an opening edge 4b2 spaced apart from the door body 4a toward the inside of the vehicle.

The vehicle 1 includes an existing holding mechanism for holding the front door 4 at a predetermined opening position (for example, a half-open position). As the holding mechanism, a conventionally known mechanism is used, such as an automatic door opening/closing mechanism using an electric actuator, or a door checker mechanism including a check link having unevenness and a pair of roller members sandwiching the check link.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the wheelchair 11 includes a seating portion 13, a body frame 14, a plurality of wheels, that is, a pair of rear wheels 15 and a pair of front wheels 16, and the wheelchair 11 is fixed to the vehicle 1. The engaging portion 12 is provided with an engaging portion 12 that can be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, the seating section 13 has a configuration that allows a wheelchair user to sit on it, and specifically includes a seat cushion 13a that contacts the user's buttocks, and a seat that contacts the user's back. It has a back 13b, a handle 13c for a caregiver to hold the wheelchair 11 from behind, and a pair of support members 13d that support the seat cushion 13a from below. The seating part 13 is detachably attached to the upper part of the body frame 14.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the body frame 14 has a configuration capable of supporting the seating portion 13, and specifically, a pair of body frames arranged spaced apart on the left and right sides of the wheelchair 11. a main frame 17, a pair of sub-frames 18 respectively attached to the pair of main frames, a cross bar 19 connecting the pair of main frames 17, a pair of footrests 21, and a pair of footrest arms 22. has.

Each of the pair of rear wheels 15 is rotatably attached to each of the pair of main frames 17.

Each of the pair of main frames 17 of this embodiment is an L-shaped member, as shown in FIG. It is possible to support. The pair of main frames 17 and the pair of support members 13d are removably connected by a known connection method such as fitting a convex portion provided on one of them into a recess provided on the other.

Each of the pair of subframes 18 is provided in each main frame 17 so as to extend forward of the rear wheel 15 and below the main frame 17. Each of the pair of front wheels 16 is rotatably attached to the front end portion of each of the pair of subframes 18 .

The rear wheel 15 shown in FIG. 3 includes a spoke wheel 15a made of metal or hard resin (FRP or the like), and a tire 15b made of rubber or soft resin. The spoke wheel 15a includes a rim 15c that is annular in side view, a hub 15d that is rotatably supported by the main frame 17, and a plurality of spokes ( 3) spokes 15e. On the other hand, the front wheel 16 is made of casters or the like, and can swing about an axis in the vertical direction with respect to the tip of the subframe 18, so that the rolling direction can be changed.

The pair of footrests 21 are parts on which the feet of a wheelchair user are placed. The pair of footrests 21 are attached to the pair of subframes 18 at a position above the front wheels 16 via a pair of footrest arms 22.

The engaging portion 12 has a configuration capable of engaging with a front door 4 that opens and closes the entrance/exit 3 of the vehicle 1 .

The engaging portion 12 can be placed at any position on the body frame 14. In this embodiment, it is attached to the main frame 17, which has high rigidity among the body frames 14.

Specifically, the engaging portion 12 of this embodiment includes a hook 12a, which is a main body portion, and a rotation spring 12b. The hook 12a has a downwardly protruding hook 12a1 at its tip, and is attached to the outer surface of the main frame 17 via a rotation spring 12b so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. The rotation spring 12b constantly urges the hook 12a to rotate downward. Note that the engaging portion 12 may not include the rotating spring 12b, and the hook 12a may have the properties of a leaf spring. In that case, the hook 12a only needs to be able to return downward by its own elastic force when an upward external force is applied to the tip.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the hook 12a of the engaging portion 12 is connected to the hook 12a of the engaging portion 12 when the front door 4 that opens and closes the entrance 3 on the side of the vehicle 1 is opened at a predetermined opening degree (for example, half-open). When the wheelchair 11 is brought close to the front door 4 while being held by the existing holding mechanism (in the state of After being pushed upward, it is moved downward by the biasing force of the rotation spring 12b. Thereby, the hook 12a (specifically, the downwardly protruding key 12a1 of the hook 12a) can engage with the opening edge 4b2 of the door pocket 4b1.

Note that the hook 12a only needs to function as an engaging portion that engages with the front door 4, and may engage with a concave or convex portion of a door component such as a trim on the inside of the vehicle of the front door 4 instead of the opening edge 4b2 of the door pocket 4b1. May be combined.

(Features of this embodiment)
(1)
The wheelchair 11 of this embodiment includes a seating part 13 on which a user of the wheelchair 11 sits, a body frame 14 that supports the seating part 13, and a pair of wheels (a pair of wheels) rotatably supported on both left and right sides of the body frame 14. The vehicle 1 includes a rear wheel 15 and a pair of front wheels 16), and an engaging portion 12 that can engage with a door that opens and closes the entrance 3 of the vehicle 1, such as a front door 4.

According to this configuration, the engaging portion 12 of the wheelchair 11 can engage with the front door 4 (specifically, the door pocket 4b1) that opens and closes the entrance 3 of the vehicle 1. Therefore, since the wheelchair 11 and the vehicle 1 are directly connected without intervening another member, the wheelchair 11 can be stably fixed to the vehicle 1 when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle 1. It is.

Note that the door that the engaging portion 12 of the wheelchair 11 engages with may be any door that opens and closes the entrance/exit door 3, and may be the rear door 5 in addition to the front door 4.

In addition, since the wheelchair 11 of the above embodiment includes the engaging portion 12, there is no need to install a getting on/off assisting mechanism including a getting on/off plate inside the vehicle 1 as in the prior art described in Patent Document 1. There is also the advantage that the space inside the vehicle is not narrowed.

(2)
In the wheelchair 11 of this embodiment, the engaging portion 12 has a hook 12a configured to be able to engage with a door pocket 4b1, which is a recessed portion of a trim member 4b formed on the interior side of the front door 4.

According to this configuration, the wheelchair 11 is easily and stably fixed to the front door 4 by engaging the hook 12a of the engaging portion 12 with the door pocket 4b1 formed on the interior side of the front door 4. It is possible to do so. Therefore, the wheelchair user can easily transfer from the wheelchair 11 to the seat 6 of the vehicle 1. Moreover, after the user transfers to the seat 6, the fixed state between the wheelchair 11 and the vehicle 1 can be easily released by removing the hook 12a from the door pocket 4b1.

Note that a convex portion may be provided on the surface of the front door 4 (particularly on the surface of the trim member 4 on the inside of the vehicle interior) instead of the concave portion such as the door pocket 4b1. For example, a convex portion or a concave portion that can be engaged with the hook 12a may be provided in a portion of the trim member 4b other than the door pocket 4b1.

(3)
In the wheelchair 11 of this embodiment, the recess is formed by a door pocket 4b1 provided in the trim member 4b of the front door 4. The hook 12a of the engaging portion 12 has a hook 12a1 that projects downward so as to be able to engage with the recess formed by the door pocket 4b1.

According to this configuration, the hook 12a of the engaging portion 12 (specifically, the downwardly protruding key 12a1 of the hook 12a) engages with the recess formed by the door pocket 4b1, thereby moving the wheelchair 11 to the front door. 4 can be easily fixed. Further, by using the recess formed by the existing door pocket 4b1 to secure the wheelchair 11, it is not necessary to form a recess dedicated to securing the wheelchair 11 in the front door 4. As a result, there is no need to change or remodel the vehicle to secure the wheelchair 11.

(Modified example)
(A)
In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the engaging portion 12 of the wheelchair 11 has a downward hook 12a that can be engaged with the door pocket 4b1 of the front door 4. It is not limited to.

As yet another modification of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 8, the engaging portion 12 includes a hook 12a as a lower end engaging portion that can be engaged with the lower end portion 4c of the door body 4a of the front door 4. It may be a configuration having the following.

The engaging portion 12 shown in FIGS. 7 to 8 is common to the engaging portion 12 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 above in that it includes a hook 12a and a rotating spring 12b. However, the hook 12a shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 has a hook 12a1 projecting upward at its tip, and is attached to the outer surface of the main frame 17 via a rotation spring 12b so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. . The rotation spring 12b constantly urges the hook 12a to rotate upward. Note that the engaging portion 12 may not include the rotating spring 12b, and the hook 12a may have the properties of a leaf spring. In that case, the hook 12a only needs to be able to return upward by its own elastic force when an external force is applied downward to the tip.

As shown in FIG. 8, in this modification, when the wheelchair 11 approaches the front door 4 which is opened at a predetermined opening degree, the hook 12a of the engaging portion 12 is attached to the door body 4a of the front door 4. After coming into contact with the lower end portion 4c and being pushed downward, it is moved upward by the biasing force of the rotation spring 12b. Thereby, the hook 12a (specifically, the upwardly protruding key 12a1 of the hook 12a) can engage with the lower end portion 4c1 of the front door 4.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 above, the hook 12a serving as the lower end engaging portion of the engaging portion 12 engages with the lower end portion 4c of the front door 4, so that the wheelchair 11 can be easily attached to the front door 4. It is possible to fix it. With this configuration, it is possible to easily fix the wheelchair 11 to the front door 4, especially in a vehicle with a high vehicle height.

Note that the engaging portion 12 includes a hook 12a (that is, a lower end engaging portion) that engages with the lower end portion 4c of the front door 4 shown in FIGS. 7 to 8, and a door pocket of the front door 4 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. 4b1 (i.e., a door pocket engaging part or an upper engaging part), in which case it is possible to more stably fix the wheelchair 11 to the front door 4. be.

(B)
In the present invention, the entrance/exit of the vehicle 1 does not have to be the entrance/exit 3 on the side of the vehicle 1, but may be a rear gate that opens at the rear of the vehicle 1. In that case as well, it is possible to fix the wheelchair 11 to a door member that opens and closes the rear gate of the vehicle 1 by the engaging portion 12. Thereby, it is possible to get on and off the vehicle 1 from the wheelchair 11 through the rear gate of the vehicle 1.

(C)
In the present invention, as an example of the engaging portion 12, an example is shown in which the engaging portion 12 has a hook 12a that can engage with a convex portion or a concave portion such as the door pocket 4b1 or the lower end portion 4c of the front door 4 that opens and closes the entrance 3 of the vehicle 1. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example of the engaging portion 12, either a latch mechanism used in a vehicle door lock mechanism or an engaged portion such as a striker that engages with the latch mechanism is attached to the wheelchair 11. Good too. In that case, the other of the latch mechanism and the engaged portion may be attached to the door.

1 Vehicle 2 Body 3 Entrance/exit 4 Front door 5 Rear door 6 Seat 11 Wheelchair 12 Engagement part 12a Hook 13 Seating part 14 Body frame 15 Rear wheel 16 Front wheel 17 Main frame 18 Sub frame

Claims (2)

a seating area for a wheelchair user to sit on;
a body frame that supports the seating portion;
a wheel rotatably supported on the body frame;
Equipped with an engaging part that can be engaged with a door that opens and closes the entrance and exit of the vehicle ,
The engaging portion has a configuration capable of engaging with a door pocket provided in the trim member of the door that forms a recess in the trim member formed on the interior side of the door.
wheelchair. a seating area for a wheelchair user to sit on;
a body frame that supports the seating portion;
a wheel rotatably supported on the body frame;
Engagement part that can be engaged with a door that opens and closes the entrance/exit of a vehicle
Equipped with
The engaging portion has a lower end engaging portion that can engage with the lower end of the door.
wheelchair.

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