JP7488786B2 - Brake structure of walking vehicle and walking vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a brake structure for a walking vehicle and a walking vehicle equipped with the brake structure.

Walkers that assist users who have difficulty walking on their own, such as the elderly or physically disabled, have been known for some time. Walkers have wheels at their lower end and a handle at their upper end that is gripped by the user when the walker is moving. Some walkers are also equipped with a brake mechanism that applies a braking force to the wheels. In such walkers, a brake lever is provided below the handle. The brake lever is attached to the main body case so that it can move up and down with its base end inserted inside the main body case. When the brake lever is operated from the standby position to the upper brake position while the walker is moving, a braking force is applied to the wheels, and the brakes are applied.

In addition to the braking function described above, some walkers have a locking function that applies a braking force to the wheels to lock them when the walker is parked. The locking function locks the wheels by continuously applying a braking force to the wheels. In walkers with a locking function, the brake lever is generally operable in three positions: a standby position, a brake position above the standby position, and a lock position below the standby position.

Patent Document 1 discloses a brake mechanism in which a brake lever can be operated to the above three positions. In the brake mechanism of Patent Document 1, the brake lever has a grip portion that is gripped by the user, and a main body portion that is provided on the base end side of the grip portion and disposed within the main body case. The main body portion protrudes upward beyond the grip portion, and its upper end portion forms an upper fulcrum that abuts against the inside of the main body case. In addition, the main body portion protrudes downward beyond the grip portion, and its lower end portion forms a lower fulcrum that abuts against the inside of the main body case.

According to the brake mechanism of Patent Document 1, when the brake lever is in the standby position, the upper and lower fulcrums are held in contact with the inside of the case. When the brake lever is operated upward from the standby position, the brake lever rotates upward about the upper fulcrum with the upper fulcrum in contact with the inside of the case. This moves the brake lever from the standby position to the brake position. When the brake lever is operated downward from the standby position, the brake lever rotates downward about the lower fulcrum with the lower fulcrum in contact with the inside of the case. This moves the brake lever from the standby position to the lock position.

Japanese Patent No. 6254062

In the brake mechanism of Patent Document 1, a main body having an upper fulcrum and a lower fulcrum is provided on the base end side of the brake lever, which is thought to increase the vertical dimensions of the brake lever and the main body case. This may result in an increase in the size of the brake mechanism.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a compact brake structure for a walking vehicle and a walking vehicle in which the brake lever can be operated to three positions: standby position, brake position, and lock position.

In order to solve the above problem, the brake structure of a walker of the first invention comprises a brake lever provided below a handle for applying the brakes to the wheels, a pivot shaft provided on the base end side of the brake lever, and a main body on which the brake lever is rotatably supported via the pivot shaft, and the brake lever is displaceable between a standby position, a braking position where the brake lever is pivoted upward from the standby position for applying the brakes to the wheels when the walker is moving, and a locking position where the brake lever is pivoted downward from the standby position for applying the brakes to the wheels and locking the wheels when the walker is parked. The brake lever is provided with a first pivot shaft and a second pivot shaft disposed on the tip side of the first pivot shaft as the pivot shaft, and the main body is provided with a first bearing portion that receives the first pivot shaft from below, and a second bearing portion that receives the second pivot shaft from below. A brake wire is connected between the first and second rotating shafts of the brake lever, and when the brake lever is operated from the standby position to the brake position, the brake lever rotates around the first rotating shaft to a side where the second rotating shaft moves upward away from the second bearing part with the first rotating shaft supported from below by the first bearing part, and the brake wire is pulled upward to brake the wheel, and when the brake lever is operated from the standby position to the lock position, the brake lever rotates around the second rotating shaft to a side where the first rotating shaft moves upward away from the first bearing part with the second rotating shaft supported from below by the second bearing part, and the brake wire is pulled upward to brake the wheel.

According to the first invention, the brake lever can be formed long (slender) in the direction in which the first and second rotating shafts are aligned. This allows the vertical dimension of the brake lever to be reduced, and further allows the vertical dimension of the main body to be reduced. This allows for a compact brake structure in which the brake lever can be operated between the standby position, the brake position, and the lock position.

The brake structure of a walker of the second invention is applied to a walker of the first invention, which is provided rearward of the handle and has an armrest on which the user's elbow is placed, and the brake lever is a front lever supported on the main body with its tip facing forward, and a rear lever is rotatably supported on the main body via a third pivot shaft with its tip facing backward, and is displaceable between a standby position and a lock position, which is a position where it is pivoted downward from the standby position, and the rear lever is in contact with the front lever and the first pivot shaft forward of the third pivot shaft. The rear lever is rotatably connected via a rotating shaft, and is configured to rotate about the third rotating shaft so that when the front lever is in the standby position, the first rotating shaft is located at a lower position where it is received from below by the first bearing portion, and when the front lever is in the locked position, the first rotating shaft is located at an upper position spaced upward from the first bearing portion, and when the first rotating shaft is located at the lower position, the rear lever is located at the standby position, and when the first rotating shaft is located at the upper position, the rear lever is located at the locked position.

Some walkers with armrests are equipped with a front lever (corresponding to a brake lever) and a rear lever. In such walkers, according to the second invention, when the front lever is operated to the locked position, the rear lever displaces to the locked position in conjunction with it. Also, when the rear lever is operated to the locked position, the front lever displaces to the locked position in conjunction with it. In this case, the lever that is not operated for locking operates in the same way as the lever that is operated for locking, so that when unlocking, either lever can be used to release the lock, improving convenience.

In addition, in the above configuration, the rear lever can be formed long (slender) in the direction in which the first and third pivot shafts are aligned. This allows the vertical dimension of the rear lever to be reduced, and therefore the vertical dimension of the main body to be reduced. This allows for a compact brake structure in which the front and rear levers are linked.

The brake structure of the walking vehicle of the third invention is the first or second invention, characterized in that the main body is provided with a first guide passage that guides the first pivot shaft that displaces vertically as the brake lever moves between the standby position and the locked position, and a second guide passage that guides the second pivot shaft that displaces vertically as the brake lever moves between the standby position and the brake position, the first bearing portion is formed by the lower passage end surface of the first guide passage, and the second bearing portion is formed by the lower passage end surface of the second guide passage.

According to the third invention, when the brake lever is moved between the standby position and the brake position, the second rotating shaft is guided along the second guide passage, and when the brake lever is moved between the standby position and the lock position, the first rotating shaft is guided along the first guide passage. This makes it easier to move the brake lever to each of the standby position, the brake position, and the lock position.

The brake structure of the walking vehicle of the fourth invention is the third invention, characterized in that the first guide passage has an upper passage end against which the first pivot shaft abuts from below when the brake lever is in the locked position, and the second guide passage has an upper passage end against which the second pivot shaft abuts from below when the brake lever is in the brake position.

According to the fourth invention, when moving the brake lever to the brake position, it is sufficient to move it until the second rotating shaft abuts against the second abutment portion, and when moving the brake lever to the lock position, it is sufficient to move it until the first rotating shaft abuts against the first abutment portion. This improves the operability when operating the brake lever to the brake position and the lock position.

The brake structure of the fifth invention for a walking vehicle is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the brake lever is provided with a pulley section between the first and second pivot shafts, the brake wire is connected to the brake lever by being folded back downward via the pulley section, one end of the brake wire is fixed to the main body section, and the other end is connected to a brake section that applies brakes to the wheel, and when the brake lever is operated to the brake position and to the lock position, the pulley section is displaced upward, pulling the other end of the brake wire upward, and based on this, the brake section applies brakes to the wheel.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the brake lever is operated to the brake position and when it is operated to the lock position, the brake wire is pulled upward via the pulley section. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of operation (operation distance) required when performing these operations. This improves the operability of the brake lever.

The sixth invention is a walking vehicle characterized by having a brake structure according to any one of the first to fifth inventions.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the effects of the first to fifth aspects of the invention can be achieved as a walking vehicle.

FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the brake operating portion in an exploded state. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the brake operating section with the cover of the main body removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the front lever and the rear lever as viewed obliquely from below. 1A is a side view showing the case as viewed from the inside, and FIG. 1B is a side view showing the cover as viewed from the inside. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which the front lever in FIG. 5 is operated to a brake position. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which the front lever in FIG. 5 is operated to a lock position;

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a walking frame 10 as seen from diagonally forward. In the following description, the direction in which the walking frame 10 moves is defined as the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the walker 10 comprises a pair of left and right frame sections 11 extending in the vertical direction, and front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13 attached to the lower end of each frame section 11. Each frame section 11 is formed from a light metal such as aluminum. Each frame section 11 has a lower frame 15 attached to its lower part and extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a vertical frame 16 extending upward from the middle of the lower frame 15. The front wheels 12 are attached to the front end of the lower frame 15, and the rear wheels 13 are attached to the rear end of the lower frame 15. The frame sections 11 are also connected to each other via connecting members 18.

A handle 21 and an armrest 22 are provided at the upper end of the vertical frame 16 of each frame section 11. The handle 21 is a part that the user grasps when moving the walker 10. The handle 21 is provided to protrude forward from the vertical frame 16, and more specifically, is provided to be inclined upward toward the front. The armrest 22 is a part on which the user places his/her elbow when moving the walker 10. The armrest 22 is provided to protrude rearward from the vertical frame 16.

A brake operating unit 30 is provided on the upper end side of each vertical frame 16. The brake operating unit 30 includes a main body 31 attached to the upper end side of the vertical frame 16, and a front lever 32 and a rear lever 33 attached to the main body 31. The front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 are levers for applying the brakes to the walker 10. The front lever 32 is provided below the handle 21, and the rear lever 33 is provided rearward of the front lever 32.

A brake wire 28 (see Figures 2, 5, etc.) is connected to the brake operating unit 30. The brake wire 28 is inserted into a soft tube 34. The brake wire 28 is connected to a brake operating unit 29 provided on the rear end side of the lower frame 15. The brake operating unit 29 is operated by operating a front lever 32 or a rear lever 33 of the brake operating unit 30, and applies a braking force (braking force) to the rear wheel 13. The brake operating unit 29 corresponds to the brake unit.

Between each vertical frame 16, a seat 25 is provided on which a person can sit. A storage basket 26 capable of storing items is provided on the underside of the seat 25, and a tray 27 on which items can be placed is provided below the handle 21.

Next, the brake structure of the walker 10 will be described. The brake structure is broadly divided into a brake operating unit 30 and a braking mechanism that applies a braking force to the rear wheel 13 based on the operation of the brake operating unit 30. Therefore, the brake operating unit 30 will be described below with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the brake operating unit 30. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the brake operating unit 30 in an exploded state. Note that the left and right brake operating units 30 have a symmetrical configuration, and Figs. 2 and 3 show the right brake operating unit 30. Also, some components such as the armrest 22 are omitted from Figs. 2 and 3 (the same applies to Figs. 5, 8, and 9 described later).

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the brake operating unit 30, the main body 31 has a flat shape that extends in the front-rear direction as a whole. The main body 31 includes a box-shaped case 35 attached to the vertical frame 16, and a cover 36 that covers the opening of the case 35. Both the case 35 and the cover 36 are made of hard resin. The case 35 is attached to the vertical frame 16 with its opening facing outward in the left-right direction. The cover 36 is fixed to the case 35 using fasteners 37 such as screws. As a result, an internal space surrounded by the case 35 and the cover 36 is formed in the main body 31.

The case 35 and the cover 36 each have opposing plate portions 35a, 36a that face each other in the left-right direction with the internal space in between. The opposing plate portion 35a of the case 35 has a plurality of boss portions 38 that protrude inward (toward the internal space), and each of the boss portions 38 has a boss hole 38a formed therein. The opposing plate portion 36a of the cover 36 also has a plurality of screw holes 39 formed therein corresponding to each of the boss holes 38a (see also Figures 7(a) and (b)). Each fastener 37 is screwed into the screw hole 39 of the cover 36 through the boss hole 38a of the case 35. This fixes the cover 36 to the case 35.

The front lever 32 is formed as a rod extending in the front-rear direction as a whole. The front lever 32 is attached to the main body 31 with its tip side facing forward. The base end side of the front lever 32 enters the inside of the main body 31 through a notched insertion port 41 formed in the case 35 of the main body 31, and in this state, the base end side is attached to the main body 31.

The front lever 32 has a lever operating part 32a constituting the tip side and a lever base part 32b constituting the base side. The lever operating part 32a is the part that the user grips and is located below the handle 21. The lever operating part 32a is inclined upward in accordance with the inclination of the handle 21. The lever base part 32b extends approximately horizontally in the front-rear direction, and its tip side is inclined upward and connected to the lever operating part 32a (see also Figure 5).

The front lever 32 is attached to the main body 31 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The front lever 32 is displaceable between a standby position (see solid line in FIG. 2), a brake position (see dashed line in FIG. 2) which is a position where the front lever 32 is rotated upward from the standby position, and a lock position (see dashed line in FIG. 2) which is a position where the front lever 32 is rotated downward from the standby position. The front lever 32 is normally held in the standby position. The front lever 32 corresponds to the brake lever.

When the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the brake position (hereinafter referred to as the brake operation), a braking force is applied to the rear wheels 13. Therefore, when the front lever 32 is braked while the walker 10 is moving, the rear wheels 13 are braked. Also, when the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the lock position (hereinafter referred to as the lock operation), a braking force is applied to the rear wheels 13, similar to the case of the brake operation. Also, when the front lever 32 is locked, the front lever 32 is held in the locked position. Therefore, when the front lever 32 is locked while the walker 10 is parked, the rear wheels 13 remain braked and the rear wheels 13 are locked.

The rear lever 33 is formed as a rod extending in the front-rear direction as a whole. The rear lever 33 is attached to the main body 31 with its tip side facing rearward. The base end side of the rear lever 33 enters the inside of the main body 31 through a notched insertion opening 42 formed in the case 35 of the main body 31, and in this state, the base end side is attached to the main body 31.

The rear lever 33 is attached to the main body 31 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The rear lever 33 can be displaced between a standby position (see solid line in FIG. 2) and a lock position (see two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) which is a position where the rear lever 33 is rotated downward from the standby position. The rear lever 33 is normally held in the standby position.

When the rear lever 33 is operated from the standby position to the locked position (hereinafter referred to as the locking operation), a braking force is applied to the rear wheels 13. Furthermore, when the rear lever 33 is locked, the rear lever 33 is held in the locked position. Therefore, when the rear lever 33 is locked while parking the walker 10, the rear wheels 13 remain braked and are locked.

In this way, with this brake structure, it is possible to perform the locking operation using either the front lever 32 or the rear lever 33. On the other hand, the brake operation is only possible using the front lever 32 out of the levers 32 and 33.

Next, the braking mechanism that applies a braking force to the rear wheel 13 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a side view showing the braking mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 4, the brake operating unit 29 is attached to the lower frame 15 so as to be rotatable via a pivot shaft 44 extending in the left-right direction. The brake operating unit 29 is formed in a strip shape, has an abutment portion 29a at one end that abuts against the rear wheel 13, and has a connection portion 29b to which the brake wire 28 is connected at the other end. The brake operating unit 29 can be displaced between a position where the abutment portion 29a is separated from the rear wheel 13 (see the solid line in FIG. 4) and a position where the abutment portion 29a abuts against the rear wheel 13 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) by rotating around the pivot shaft 44. When the abutment portion 29a is separated from the rear wheel 13, the rear wheel 13 is allowed to rotate. On the other hand, when the abutment portion 29a abuts against the rear wheel 13, a braking force is applied to the rear wheel 13.

The lower frame 15 is provided with a protruding plate portion 15a that protrudes above the connection portion 29b of the brake operating portion 29. The protruding plate portion 15a is arranged facing the connection portion 29b vertically. A connector 45 that is connected to the lower end of the tube 34 is attached to the protruding plate portion 15a. The brake wire 28 is led downward from the lower end of the tube 34 through the inside of the connector 45, and its lower end is fixed to the connection portion 29b. In this case, when the brake wire 28 is pulled upward by operating the front lever 32 or the rear lever 33, the brake operating portion 29 rotates in conjunction with the pulling.

A coil spring 46 is disposed between the connection portion 29b of the brake operating portion 29 and the protruding plate portion 15a of the lower frame 15. The coil spring 46 is disposed between the connection portion 29b and the protruding plate portion 15a in a state compressed from its natural length. Therefore, the elastic force (biasing force) of the coil spring 46 constantly biases the connection portion 29b (and thus the brake operating portion 29) in the opposite direction to the protruding plate portion 15a, that is, downward. As a result, the brake operating portion 29 is normally positioned in a position where the abutment portion 29a is spaced apart from the rear wheel 13.

The connection part 29b is biased downward by the coil spring 46, so that the brake wire 28 connected to the connection part 29b is also constantly biased downward. When the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the brake position or the lock position, the brake wire 28 is pulled upward accordingly (details will be described later). When the rear lever 33 is operated from the standby position to the lock position, the brake wire 28 is pulled upward accordingly (details will be described later). When the brake wire 28 is pulled upward due to the brake operation or the lock operation, the brake operating part 29 rotates to a position where the abutment part 29a abuts against the rear wheel 13. At this time, the brake operating part 29 rotates against the biasing force of the coil spring 46. As a result, when the front lever 32 is operated to the brake position or the lock position, or when the rear lever 33 is operated to the lock position, a braking force is applied to the rear wheel 13, and the rear wheel 13 is braked.

Next, the internal structure of the brake operating unit 30 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 in addition to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side view showing the brake operating unit 30, with the cover 36 of the main body 31 removed. Fig. 5 shows the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 in the standby position. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 as seen obliquely from below. Fig. 6 also shows the pulley unit 62 attached to the front lever 32.

As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 are rotatably connected via a connecting shaft 51. The connecting shaft 51 is a cylindrical shaft extending in the left-right direction, and connects the rear end of the front lever 32 and the front end of the rear lever 33 to each other. In other words, the connecting shaft 51 connects the base ends of the levers 32 and 33 to each other. The connecting shaft 51 corresponds to the first pivot shaft.

The connecting shaft 51 is formed at the base end of the rear lever 33. The connecting shafts 51 are provided to protrude from both the left and right sides of the rear lever 33, and their axes are located on the same axis. On the other hand, an insertion groove 52 into which the base end of the rear lever 33 is inserted is formed at the base end of the front lever 32 (specifically, the lever base 32b). The insertion groove 52 is a groove portion that opens to the rear, and the rear lever 33 is inserted into this insertion groove 52 from the rear. Insertion portions 53 into which the connecting shaft 51 is inserted are formed on each of the left and right sides of the insertion groove 52 in the front lever 32. Each insertion portion 53 is formed as a notch that is open to the rear. By inserting each connecting shaft 51 into these insertion portions 53, both levers 32, 33 are rotatably connected via each connecting shaft 51.

The connecting shaft 51 does not necessarily have to be formed on the rear lever 33. For example, the connecting shaft 51 may be formed on the front lever 32, or the connecting shaft 51 may be formed separately from each of the levers 33, 33. In short, as long as each of the levers 33, 33 is rotatably connected via the connecting shaft 51, the configuration may be arbitrary.

The front lever 32 (specifically, the lever base 32b) has a pivot shaft 55 located on the tip side of the connecting shaft 51. The pivot shaft 55 is a cylindrical shaft extending in the left-right direction. The pivot shafts 55 are provided protruding from both the left and right sides of the front lever 32, and their axes are aligned in the same straight line. The pivot shaft 55 corresponds to the second pivot shaft.

A slit groove portion 56 is formed in the front lever 32, closer to the tip side than the insertion groove 52. The slit groove portion 56 is a slit-shaped groove portion that extends in the longitudinal direction of the front lever 32 and is open downward. A disk-shaped rotating body 58 is disposed in the slit groove portion 56. A shaft hole (not shown) is formed in the center of the rotating body 58, and a shaft portion 59 extending to the left and right is inserted into the shaft hole.

On the left and right sides of the slit groove portion 56 in the front lever 32, holes 61 are formed, through which the shaft portion 59 is inserted. The shaft portion 59 is inserted in a fitted state into these holes 61, and the shaft portion 59 is thereby fixed to the front lever 32. The rotating body 58 is capable of rotating around the shaft portion 59 as a rotation axis. As a result, the rotating body 58 and the shaft portion 59 form a pulley portion 62. In addition, both ends of the shaft portion 59 protrude from the left and right side surfaces of the front lever 32, respectively.

The rear lever 33 has an axial hole 64 at the tip side (rear) of the connecting shaft 51. The axial hole 64 is a circular hole that penetrates the rear lever 33 in the left-right direction. As described below, the boss portion 38 of the case 35 is inserted into the axial hole 64.

Next, the configuration of the main body 31 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 7. Fig. 7 (a) is a side view showing the case 35 as viewed from the inside, and (b) is a side view showing the cover 36 as viewed from the inside. Note that Fig. 7 (a) also shows the engagement piece 68 and coil spring 72 provided on the case 35, and Fig. 7 (b) also shows the engagement piece 68 and coil spring 72 provided on the cover 36.

As shown in Fig. 5 and Figs. 7(a) and (b), the main body 31 is provided with a first guide passage 65 that guides the connecting shafts 51 of the levers 32 and 33, and a second guide passage 66 that guides the pivot shaft 55 of the front lever 32. The first guide passages 65 are provided in the case 35 and the cover 36 of the main body 31 in correspondence with the connecting shafts 51. Similarly, the second guide passages 66 are provided in the case 35 and the cover 36 in correspondence with the pivot shafts 55.

The first guide passages 65 of the case 35 and the cover 36 are symmetrical in the left-right direction. Therefore, in the following, the same reference numeral (i.e., 65) will be used for each first guide passage 65, and the same reference numeral will be used for each component that constitutes the first guide passage 65. In addition, the second guide passages 66 of the case 35 and the cover 36 are symmetrical in the left-right direction, and therefore, in the following, the same reference numeral (i.e., 66) will be used for each second guide passage 66, and the same reference numeral will be used for each component that constitutes the second guide passage 66.

First, the first guide passage 65 will be described. The first guide passage 65 is formed inside the opposing plate portions 35a, 36a of the case 35 and the cover 36. Each opposing plate portion 35a, 36a is provided with a passage wall portion 67 for forming the first guide passage 65. The passage wall portion 67 is formed to protrude inside the opposing plate portions 35a, 36a and extends in the vertical direction.

The passage wall 67 has an intermediate wall 67a that extends in a generally straight line in the vertical direction, an upper wall 67b that extends forward from the upper end of the intermediate wall 67a, and a lower wall 67c that extends forward from the lower end of the intermediate wall 67a. The upper wall 67b is arc-shaped and displaces upward as it moves forward, and the lower wall 67c is arc-shaped and displaces downward as it moves forward. The upper wall 67b is arc-shaped and convex upward, and the lower wall 67c is arc-shaped and convex downward.

The case 35 and the cover 36 each have an engagement piece 68 facing the passage wall portion 67. The engagement piece 68 is a member that engages with the connecting shaft 51, as described below. The engagement piece 68 extends in the vertical direction and is disposed forward of the passage wall portion 67. The engagement piece 68 is disposed so as to straddle both ends of the passage wall portion 67, i.e., the upper end of the upper wall portion 67b and the lower end of the lower wall portion 67c, and faces the middle wall portion 67a of the passage wall portion 67 in the front-rear direction. In this case, an inner space extending in the vertical direction is formed inside the area surrounded by the engagement piece 68 and the passage wall portion 67, and this inner space is the first guide passage 65.

In the first guide passage 65, the upper passage end surface 81 (hereinafter referred to as the upper passage end surface 81) is formed by the upper wall portion 67b, and the lower passage end surface 82 (hereinafter referred to as the lower passage end surface 82) is formed by the lower wall portion 67c. The upper passage end surface 81 corresponds to the upper passage end portion of the first guide passage 65. The lower passage end surface 82 corresponds to the first bearing portion.

Before explaining the second guide passage 66, we will continue to explain the engagement piece 68.

The engagement piece 68 is supported by a shaft 71 that protrudes inward from each of the opposing plate portions 35a, 36a of the case 35 and the cover 36. The shaft 71 is an axis that extends in the left-right direction. One end of the engagement piece 68, more specifically the upper end, is formed with a hole 68a through which the shaft 71 is inserted. The shaft 71 is inserted into the hole 68a. This allows the engagement piece 68 to rotate in the front-rear direction around the shaft 71.

The engaging piece 68 is provided with a protrusion 68b that engages with the connecting shaft 51. The protrusion 68b is provided on the engaging piece 68 closer to the tip side than the hole 68a, and protrudes in a mountain shape toward the first guide passage 65. The top of the protrusion 68b is also mountain-shaped and extends in the axial direction of the connecting shaft 51. Meanwhile, the connecting shaft 51 is provided with a recess 51a on its circumferential surface that engages with the protrusion 68b.

The case 35 and the cover 36 are provided with a coil spring 72 that biases the engagement piece 68. The coil spring 72 is disposed in front of the engagement piece 68, in other words, disposed on the opposite side of the engagement piece 68 from the first guide passage 65. The coil spring 72 is accommodated in a housing portion 73 provided in each of the case 35 and the cover 36. The housing portion 73 is formed by a U-shaped wall portion that protrudes inward from each of the opposing plate portions 35a, 36a of the case 35 and the cover 36, and the open portion of the wall portion faces the engagement piece 68 side. When accommodated in the housing portion 73, the coil spring 72 is compressed and disposed between the tip side (rotation tip side) of the engagement piece 68 and the bottom of the housing portion 73. As a result, the engagement piece 68 is constantly biased toward the first guide passage 65 side by the biasing force of the coil spring 72, and is constantly biased toward the connecting shaft 51 guided in the first guide passage 65.

Next, we will explain the second guide passage 66.

The second guide passage 66 is formed inside the opposing plate portions 35a, 36a of the case 35 and the cover 36. Each opposing plate portion 35a, 36a is provided with a passage wall portion 75 that forms the second guide passage 66. The passage wall portion 75 is formed to protrude inward from each opposing plate portion 35a, 36a. The passage wall portion 75 is formed in an annular shape and extends in the vertical direction as a whole. In this case, an inner space extending in the vertical direction is formed inside the portion surrounded by the passage wall portion 75, and this inner space is used as the second guide passage 66.

In detail, the passage wall portion 75 has a pair of intermediate wall portions 75a that extend in a substantially straight line in the vertical direction and face each other in the front-rear direction, an upper wall portion 75b that extends across the upper ends of the intermediate wall portions 75a, and a lower wall portion 75c that extends across the lower ends of the intermediate wall portions 75a. The upper wall portion 75b has an arc shape that is convex upward, and the lower wall portion 75c has an arc shape that is convex downward. The upper wall portion 75b forms an upper passage end surface 83 (hereinafter referred to as the upper passage end surface 83) of the second guide passage 66, and the lower wall portion 75c forms a lower passage end surface 84 (hereinafter referred to as the lower passage end surface 84) of the second guide passage 66. The upper passage end surface 83 corresponds to the upper passage end portion of the second guide passage 66. The lower passage end surface 84 corresponds to the second bearing portion.

In addition to the guide passages 65, 66 described above, the case 35 and the cover 36 are provided with a guide passage 74 that guides the shaft portion 59 of the pulley portion 62. The guide passage 74 is formed by a passage wall portion 76 that protrudes inward from each of the opposing plate portions 35a, 36a of the case 35 and the cover 36. The passage wall portion 76 is formed in an annular shape and extends in the vertical direction as a whole. In this case, an inner space extending in the vertical direction is formed inside the area surrounded by the passage wall portion 76, and this inner space serves as the guide passage 74.

Next, we will explain the mounting configuration of the front lever 32 and rear lever 33 that are attached to the main body 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 are connected to each other via a connecting shaft 51, and their respective base ends are disposed inside the main body 31, i.e., between the case 35 and the cover 36. In this state, the connecting shaft 51 is inserted into each of the first guide passages 65 of the case 35 and the cover 36, and the pivot shaft 55 of the front lever 32 is inserted into each of the second guide passages 66 of the case 35 and the cover 36. As a result, the front lever 32 is attached to the main body 31 via the connecting shaft 51 and the pivot shaft 55.

The rear lever 33 is disposed with the boss 38 of the case 35 inserted into the shaft hole 64. In this case, the boss 38 functions as a rotation shaft of the rear lever 33. Therefore, hereinafter, this boss 38 is referred to as a rotation shaft 38A. As a result, the rear lever 33 is attached to the main body 31 via the connecting shaft 51 and the rotation shaft 38A. Furthermore, the rotation shaft 38A is disposed on the tip side (rearward) of the connecting shaft 51 on the rear lever 33. The rotation shaft 38A corresponds to a third rotation shaft.

In this manner, in the present brake operating unit 30, the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 are rotatably connected via the connecting shaft 51, the front lever 32 is attached to the main body 31 via the pivot shaft 55, and the rear lever 33 is attached to the main body 31 via the pivot shaft 38A. Therefore, in the present brake operating unit 30, the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 operate in conjunction with each other. In addition, in the present brake operating unit 30, a lever interlocking mechanism 85 is configured that includes the connecting shaft 51, the pivot shafts 55, 38A, and the lower passage end faces 82, 84 to interlock both levers 32, 33.

Of the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33, the brake wire 28 is connected to the front lever 32. The brake wire 28 is arranged so as to be folded back downward via a pulley portion 62 provided on the front lever 32. At this time, the brake wire 28 is folded back downward through the slit groove portion 56 of the front lever 32. As a result, the brake wire 28 is connected to the front lever 32 via the pulley portion 62. The brake wire 28 is also connected to the intermediate portion between the connecting shaft 51 and the rotating shaft 55 of the front lever 32.

A drum 77 is attached to one end of the brake wire 28. The drum 77 is housed in a housing portion 78 formed on the underside of the case 35, and is attached to the case 35 in this housed state. As a result, one end of the brake wire 28 is fixed to the case 35 via the drum 77.

The other end of the brake wire 28 is led downward from inside the main body 31 through a hole 79 provided on the underside of the case 35. The other end of the brake wire 28 is connected to the brake actuator 29. As described above, the brake wire 28 (more specifically, the other end of the brake wire 28) is constantly biased downward together with the brake actuator 29 by the biasing force of the coil spring 46. Therefore, the pulley part 62 to which the brake wire 28 is connected, and thus the front lever 32, are also constantly biased downward via the brake wire 28.

As described above, because the front lever 32 is biased downward, the connecting shaft 51 is normally in contact with the lower passage end surface 82 of the first guide passage 65 and is supported from below by the lower passage end surface 82. The rotating shaft 55 is in contact with the lower passage end surface 84 of the second guide passage 66 and is supported from below by the lower passage end surface 84. In this way, the connecting shaft 51 is supported by the lower passage end surface 82 and the rotating shaft 55 is supported by the lower passage end surface 84, so that the front lever 32 is held in the standby position.

The rear lever 33 is in the standby position when the connecting shaft 51 is in the lower position E1 where it is received from below by the lower passage end surface 82. Therefore, the rear lever 33 is in the standby position when the front lever 32 is in the standby position.

Next, the action of the front lever 32 when it is operated from the standby position to the brake position will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the state in which the front lever 32 is operated to the brake position in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position (see FIG. 5) to the brake position, the front lever 32 is rotated upward about the connecting shaft 51 with the connecting shaft 51 supported from below by the lower passage end surface 82 of the first guide passage 65. That is, in this case, the front lever 32 is rotated about the connecting shaft 51 so that the rotating shaft 55 moves upward away from the lower passage end surface 84 of the second guide passage 66. As a result, the brake wire 28 connected to the front lever 32 is pulled upward, and the brake operating part 29 rotates to a position where it abuts against the rear wheel 13 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4), and the rear wheel 13 is braked.

When the front lever 32 moves from the standby position to the braking position, the pivot shaft 55 displaces upward along the second guide passage 66. When the front lever 32 reaches the braking position, the pivot shaft 55 abuts against the upper passage end surface 83 of the second guide passage 66 from below. In addition, when the front lever 32 moves from the standby position to the braking position, the shaft portion 59 of the pulley portion 62 displaces upward along the guide passage 74.

As described above, the front lever 32 is constantly biased downward via the brake wire 28, so when the hand gripping the front lever 32 is released in the braking position, the biasing force causes the front lever 32 to automatically return from the braking position to the standby position. This causes the brake operating part 29 to rotate to a position away from the rear wheel 13 (see solid line in Figure 4), and the brake state for the rear wheel 13 is released. In addition, when the front lever 32 returns to the standby position, it also returns by rotating around the connecting shaft 51.

When the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the brake position, the connecting shaft 51 remains in the lower position E1 in the first guide passage 65, where it is received from below by the lower passage end surface 82. Therefore, when the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the brake position, the rear lever 33, which is connected to the front lever 32 via the connecting shaft 51, does not move in conjunction with the operation. Therefore, when the front lever 32 is braked, the rear lever 33 remains held in the standby position.

Next, the action of the front lever 32 when it is operated from the standby position to the lock position will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the state in which the front lever 32 is operated to the lock position in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position (see FIG. 5) to the locked position, the front lever 32 is rotated downward about the rotation shaft 55 with the rotation shaft 55 supported from below by the lower passage end surface 84 of the second guide passage 66. That is, in this case, the front lever 32 is rotated about the rotation shaft 55 to the side where the connecting shaft 51 moves upward away from the lower passage end surface 82 of the first guide passage 65. As a result, the brake wire 28 connected to the front lever 32 is pulled upward, and the brake operating portion 29 rotates to a position where it abuts against the rear wheel 13, and the rear wheel 13 is braked.

When the front lever 32 moves from the standby position to the locked position, the connecting shaft 51 is displaced upward along the first guide passage 65. When the front lever 32 reaches the locked position, the connecting shaft 51 is located at the upper position E2 where it abuts against the upper passage end surface 81 of the first guide passage 65 from below. In addition, when the front lever 32 moves from the standby position to the locked position, the shaft portion 59 of the pulley portion 62 is displaced upward along the guide passage 74.

When the front lever 32 moves to the locked position and the connecting shaft 51 is in the upper position E2, the convex portion 68b of the engagement piece 68 fits into the concave portion 51a of the connecting shaft 51. This causes the connecting shaft 51 to engage with the engagement piece 68, and this engagement holds the front lever 32 in the locked position. In this case, the rear wheel 13 remains braked by the brake actuator 29, and the rear wheel 13 is locked.

To explain in detail the flow when the connecting shaft 51 engages with the engaging piece 68, when the connecting shaft 51 is displaced to the upper position E2, the ridge (more specifically, the upper ridge 51b) at the boundary between the peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 51 and the recess 51a first climbs over the convex portion 68b of the engaging piece 68. At this time, the engaging piece 68 is pushed toward the coil spring 72 by the ridge 51b of the connecting shaft 51 and displaced, so that the ridge 51b climbs over the convex portion 68b. When the ridge 51b climbs over the convex portion 68b, the convex portion 68b enters the recess 51a of the connecting shaft 51. At this time, the engaging piece 68 is biased toward the connecting shaft 51 by the coil spring 72, so that the convex portion 68b enters the recess 51a. As a result, the connecting shaft 51 engages with the engaging piece 68.

When the front lever 32 is operated to the locked position and the connecting shaft 51 is displaced to the upper position E2, the rear lever 33 rotates downward about the pivot shaft 38A in response to the displacement and displaces to the locked position. Therefore, in this lever interlocking mechanism 85, when the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the locked position, the rear lever 33 displaces from the standby position to the locked position in conjunction with the displacement.

When the front lever 32 is returned from the locked position to the standby position, the brake operating unit 29 rotates to a position away from the rear wheel 13 (see solid line in FIG. 4), and the locked state of the rear wheel 13 is released. When the front lever 32 is returned to the standby position, it is also returned by rotating about the pivot shaft 55. When the front lever 32 is returned from the locked position to the standby position, the connecting shaft 51 is displaced from the upper position E2 to the lower position E1. Then, in accordance with the displacement of the connecting shaft 51, the rear lever 33 rotates upward about the pivot shaft 38A and displaces to the standby position. Therefore, in this lever interlocking mechanism 85, when the front lever 32 is operated from the locked position to the standby position, the rear lever 33 is displaced from the locked position to the standby position in conjunction with it.

Next, we will explain the action of the rear lever 33 when it is operated from the standby position to the lock position.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the rear lever 33 is operated from the standby position (see FIG. 5) to the lock position, the rear lever 33 is rotated downward about the pivot shaft 38A. That is, in this case, the rear lever 33 is rotated about the pivot shaft 38A in such a direction that the connecting shaft 51 moves upward away from the lower passage end surface 82. At this time, the front lever 32 rotates about the pivot shaft 55 as the connecting shaft 51 moves upward away from the lower passage end surface 82. In this case, the front lever 32 rotates with the pivot shaft 55 supported from below by the lower passage end surface 84. This rotation causes the front lever 32 to move from the standby position to the lock position. Therefore, in this case as well, the brake wire 28 connected to the front lever 32 is pulled upward, and the rear wheel 13 is braked.

When the rear lever 33 (and the front lever 32) reach the locked position, the connecting shaft 51 is positioned at the upper position E2 and engages with the engaging piece 68. This causes the rear lever 33 to be held in the locked position, and the front lever 32 to be held in the locked position. Therefore, even in this case, the rear wheel 13 remains braked, and the rear wheel 13 is locked.

When the rear lever 33 is returned from the locked position to the standby position, the connecting shaft 51 is displaced from the upper position E2 to the lower position E1. Then, with the displacement of the connecting shaft 51, the front lever 32 rotates upward about the pivot shaft 55 and is displaced to the standby position. This releases the locked state of the rear wheel 13.

In this way, according to the lever interlocking mechanism 85, when the rear lever 33 is operated from the standby position to the locked position, the front lever 32 is displaced from the standby position to the locked position in conjunction with this, and when the rear lever 33 is operated from the locked position to the standby position, the front lever 32 is displaced from the locked position to the standby position in conjunction with this.

The configuration of this embodiment described above provides the following excellent effects:

A connecting shaft 51 is provided at the base end of the front lever 32, and a pivot shaft 55 is provided at the tip side of the connecting shaft 51. A brake wire 28 is connected between the connecting shaft 51 and the pivot shaft 55 of the front lever 32. When the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the brake position, the connecting shaft 51 is received from below by the lower passage end surface 82, and the front lever 32 rotates about the connecting shaft 51 to the side where the pivot shaft 55 moves upward away from the lower passage end surface 84, with the pivot pulling the brake wire 28 upward, so that the brake operating portion 29 applies the brakes to the rear wheel 13. In addition, when the front lever 32 is operated from the standby position to the locked position, the pivot shaft 55 is received from below by the lower passage end surface 84, and the front lever 32 pivots about the pivot shaft 55 so that the connecting shaft 51 moves upward away from the lower passage end surface 82, and this rotation pulls the brake wire 28 upward, causing the brake operating unit 29 to apply the brakes to the rear wheel 13.

With this configuration, the front lever 32 can be formed long (slender) in the direction in which the connecting shaft 51 and the rotating shaft 55 are aligned. This allows the vertical dimension of the front lever 32 to be reduced, and further allows the vertical dimension of the main body 31 to be reduced. This allows for a compact brake structure in which the front lever 32 can be operated between the standby position, the brake position, and the lock position.

The rear lever 33 is rotatably connected to the front lever 32 via the connecting shaft 51 forward of the pivot shaft 38A. When the front lever 32 is in the standby position, the connecting shaft 51 is in the lower position E1, and when the front lever 32 is in the locked position, the connecting shaft 51 is in the upper position E2. The rear lever 33 is configured to pivot about the pivot shaft 38A so that when the connecting shaft 51 is in the lower position E1, the rear lever 33 is in the standby position, and when the connecting shaft 51 is in the upper position E2, the rear lever 33 is in the locked position.

According to this configuration, when the front lever 32 is operated to the locked position, the rear lever 33 is displaced to the locked position in conjunction with it. Also, when the rear lever 33 is operated to the locked position, the front lever 32 is displaced to the locked position in conjunction with it. In this case, the lever that is not operated for locking also operates in the same way as the lever that is operated for locking, so that when unlocking, either lever can be used for unlocking, thereby improving convenience.

In addition, in the above configuration, the rear lever 33 can be formed long (slender) in the direction in which the connecting shaft 51 and the rotating shaft 38A are aligned. This allows the vertical dimension of the rear lever 33 to be reduced, and therefore the vertical dimension of the main body 31 to be reduced. This allows for a compact brake structure in which the front lever 32 and the rear lever 33 are linked.

The main body 31 is provided with a first guide passage 65 for guiding the connecting shaft 51 and a second guide passage 66 for guiding the rotating shaft 55. In this case, when the front lever 32 is moved between the standby position and the brake position, the rotating shaft 55 is guided along the second guide passage 66, and when the front lever 32 is moved between the standby position and the lock position, the connecting shaft 51 is guided along the first guide passage 65. This makes it easier to move the front lever 23 to each of the standby position, brake position, and lock position.

The second guide passage 66 has an upper passage end surface 83 against which the pivot shaft 55 abuts from below when the front lever 23 is in the brake position, and the first guide passage 65 has an upper passage end surface 81 against which the connecting shaft 51 abuts from below when the front lever 23 is in the lock position. In this case, when moving the front lever 23 to the brake position, it is sufficient to move the pivot shaft 55 until it abuts against the upper passage end surface 83, and when moving the front lever 23 to the lock position, it is sufficient to move the connecting shaft 51 until it abuts against the upper passage end surface 81. This improves operability when operating the front lever 23 to the brake position and the lock position.

A pulley section 62 is provided between the connecting shaft 51 and the rotating shaft 55 of the front lever 23, and the brake wire 28 is connected to the front lever 32 by being folded back downward via the pulley section 62. One end of the brake wire 28 is fixed to the main body section 31, and the other end is connected to the brake operating section 29. In this case, when the front lever 23 is operated to the brake position and to the lock position, the brake wire 28 is pulled upward via the pulley section 62, so the amount of operation (operation distance) when performing these operations can be reduced. This improves the operability of the front lever 23.

The main body 31 is provided with an engagement piece 68 that engages with the connecting shaft 51 when the front lever 32 is in the locked position. In this case, the connecting shaft 51 engages with the engagement piece 68, so that the front lever 32 is held in the locked position and the rear lever 33 is held in the locked position. Therefore, when the front lever 32 or the rear lever 33 is locked, the rear wheel 13 can be kept locked. In addition, because the connecting shaft 51 that connects both levers 32, 33 is configured to engage with the engagement piece 68, it is easy to engage when either of the levers 32, 33 is operated to the locked position, and the locking operation can be performed conveniently.

The passage wall 67 and the engagement piece 68 provided on the main body 31 form a first guide passage 65 that guides the connecting shaft 51. In this case, the engagement piece 68 can be used not only as an engagement part for the connecting shaft 51, but also to form the first guide passage 65.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be implemented, for example, as follows.

(1) In the above embodiment, the first guide passage 65 is formed by the passage wall 67 and the engagement piece 68, but the engagement piece 68 may be omitted and the passage wall may be formed into a ring shape extending in the vertical direction to form the first guide passage 65. In other words, the first guide passage 65 may be formed only by the passage wall, similar to the second guide passage 66. However, in this case, since the engagement piece 68 is omitted, it is necessary to provide a separate structure for holding the front lever 32 in the locked position. As such a holding structure, for example, a convex portion is provided on the tip surface of the connecting shaft 51 and a concave portion that engages with the convex portion is provided on the inner surface of the main body 31, so that when the front lever 32 is operated to the locked position, the convex portion engages with the concave portion to hold the front lever 32 in the locked position.

(2) The first guide passage 65 may not be provided in the main body 31. In this case, however, it is necessary to provide a separate bearing portion (corresponding to the first bearing portion) in the main body 31 that receives the connecting shaft 51 from below. Similarly, the second guide passage 66 may not be provided in the main body 31. In this case, it is necessary to provide a separate bearing portion (corresponding to the second bearing portion) in the main body 31 that receives the rotating shaft 55 from below.

(3) In the above embodiment, the brake wire 28 is connected to the front lever 32 via the pulley portion 62, but the brake wire 28 may be directly connected to the front lever 32 by fixing one end of the brake wire 28 to the front lever 32. In this case, too, the brake wire 28 is connected between the connecting shaft 51 and the pivot shaft 55 of the front lever 32.

(4) In the above embodiment, the brake structure of the present invention is applied to a walker 10 having a front lever 32 and a rear lever 33. However, the brake structure of the present invention may also be applied to a walker that does not have a rear lever 33 and only has a front lever 32.

(5) In the above embodiment, the brake structure of the present invention is applied to a walker 10 with armrests 22, but the brake structure of the present invention may also be applied to a walker that does not have armrests 22.

(6) In the above embodiment, the brake structure of the present invention is applied to the rear wheel 13, but the brake structure of the present invention may also be applied to the front wheel 12.

10...walker, 13...rear wheel as wheel, 21...handle, 22...armrest, 28...brake wire, 29...brake operating part as brake part, 31...main body, 32...front lever as brake lever, 33...rear lever, 38A...rotation shaft as third rotation shaft, 51...connecting shaft as first rotation shaft, 55...rotation shaft as second rotation shaft, 62...pulley part, 65...first guide passage, 66...second guide passage, 82...lower passage end face as first bearing part, 84...lower passage end face as second bearing part.

Claims (6)

A brake lever provided below the handlebars for applying brakes to the wheels;
A rotation shaft provided on a base end side of the brake lever;
a main body portion on which the brake lever is rotatably supported via the rotation shaft,
The brake lever is displaceable between a standby position, a brake position rotated upward from the standby position for applying the brakes to the wheels when the walker is moving, and a lock position rotated downward from the standby position for applying the brakes to the wheels and locking the wheels when the walker is parked,
The brake lever is provided with a first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft disposed on a tip side of the first rotation shaft as the rotation shaft,
The main body portion is provided with a first bearing portion that receives the first rotating shaft from below and a second bearing portion that receives the second rotating shaft from below,
A brake wire is connected to the brake lever between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft,
When the brake lever is operated from the standby position to the brake position, with the first rotating shaft being received from below by the first bearing portion, the brake lever rotates about the first rotating shaft to a side in which the second rotating shaft moves upward away from the second bearing portion, and the brake wire is pulled upward by this rotation, thereby applying the brakes to the wheel.
When the brake lever is operated from the standby position to the locked position, the brake lever rotates about the second pivot shaft in a direction such that the first pivot shaft moves upward away from the first bearing portion with the second pivot shaft supported from below by the second bearing portion, and this rotation pulls the brake wire upward to apply the brakes to the wheel. The present invention is applied to a walking vehicle having an armrest provided behind the handlebars for a user to place their elbows on,
the brake lever is a front lever supported on the main body portion with a tip side facing forward,
a rear lever that is rotatably supported on the main body portion via a third rotation shaft with a tip side facing rearward, and that is displaceable between a standby position and a lock position that is a position where the rear lever is rotated downward from the standby position,
the rear lever is rotatably connected to the front lever via the first rotation shaft in front of the third rotation shaft,
When the front lever is in the standby position, the first rotation shaft is located at a lower position where it is received from below by the first bearing portion, and when the front lever is in the lock position, the first rotation shaft is located at an upper position separated upward from the first bearing portion,
2. The brake structure of claim 1, wherein the rear lever is configured to rotate about the third pivot axis so that when the first pivot axis is in the lower position, the rear lever is in the standby position, and when the first pivot axis is in the upper position, the rear lever is in the locked position. The main body portion includes:
a first guide passage that guides the first rotating shaft that is displaced in a vertical direction as the brake lever moves between the standby position and the lock position;
a second guide passage for guiding the second rotating shaft which is displaced in a vertical direction in accordance with the movement of the brake lever between the standby position and the brake position,
the first bearing portion is formed by a lower end surface of the first guide passage,
3. The brake structure of claim 1, wherein the second bearing portion is formed by a lower end surface of the second guide passage. the first guide passage has an upper passage end with which the first rotating shaft abuts from below when the brake lever is located at the locked position,
4. The brake structure of claim 3, wherein the second guide passage has an upper passage end with which the second pivot shaft abuts from below when the brake lever is in the brake position. The brake lever is provided with a pulley portion between the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft,
The brake wire is connected to the brake lever by being folded back downward via the pulley portion,
One end of the brake wire is fixed to the main body, and the other end is connected to a brake unit that applies a brake to the wheel,
5. A brake structure for a walker as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the brake lever is operated to the brake position and when it is operated to the lock position, the pulley portion is displaced upward, thereby pulling the other end of the brake wire upward, and based on this, the brake portion applies brakes to the wheel. A walking vehicle equipped with a brake structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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