JP7755364B2 - Wheelchair fixing structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wheelchair fixing structure.

The wheelchair fixing structure of Patent Document 1 includes a hook device for hooking the wheelchair's anchor bar. As shown in Figure 16 of Patent Document 1, the wheelchair's anchor bar is provided between the wheelchair's main rear wheels and its auxiliary front wheels. This anchor bar is provided along the width of the wheelchair. The hook device has a hook plate. The rear end of the hook plate is supported so that it can swing freely up and down relative to the vehicle compartment floor. A hook portion is provided at the rear end of the hook plate that engages with the anchor bar. The anchor bar is engaged with this hook portion, thereby fixing the wheelchair to the vehicle compartment floor.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-134243

As mentioned above, in the wheelchair fixing structure of Patent Document 1, the rear end of the hook plate is supported so that it can swing freely up and down relative to the vehicle floor, so the wheelchair can only be fixed in a specific position on the vehicle floor. This makes it difficult to fine-tune the wheelchair's fixing position, making it difficult to use.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a user-friendly wheelchair fixing structure that allows for fine adjustment of the wheelchair fixing points.

A wheelchair fixing structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A wheelchair mounted on the rear floor of the vehicle;
a stopper portion that abuts or engages with an anchor bar set on the wheelchair and restricts forward movement of the wheelchair on the vehicle;
The stopper portion is set on the rear floor so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

The wheelchair fixing structure has a stopper section that is slidably set on the rear floor, allowing the position of the stopper section to be changed. In other words, the wheelchair fixing structure allows for fine adjustment of the wheelchair fixing point. Therefore, the wheelchair fixing structure is easy to use.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a wheelchair fixing structure according to an embodiment, as viewed from the left side of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a wheelchair provided in the wheelchair fixing structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a stopper portion provided in the fixing structure of the wheelchair according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a slide mechanism provided in the fixing structure of the wheelchair according to the embodiment.

An embodiment of the wheelchair securing structure of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the figures, "FR" indicates the front of the vehicle 100 equipped with the wheelchair securing structure 1 according to the embodiment, "RR" indicates the rear of the vehicle 100, "UP" indicates the top of the vehicle 100, and "LWR" indicates the bottom of the vehicle 100.

<<Embodiment>>
[Wheelchair fixing structure]
The wheelchair fixing structure 1 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 includes a wheelchair 10. The wheelchair 10 is mounted on a rear floor 110 of a vehicle 100. One of the features of the wheelchair fixing structure 1 according to this embodiment is that it satisfies the following requirements (A) to (C).
(A) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wheelchair 10 has an anchor bar 14.
(B) As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 includes a stopper portion 3 that abuts or engages with the anchor bar 14 to restrict the forward movement of the wheelchair 10.
(C) As shown in FIG. 4, the stopper portion 3 is set on the rear floor 110 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100.
Each component will be described in detail below. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the wheelchair fixing structure 1 further includes an electric winch 2.

[wheelchair]
The wheelchair 10 comprises left and right frames 11, left and right front wheels 12, left and right rear wheels 13, and anchor bars 14. For ease of explanation, the spokes of the rear wheels 13 are not shown in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 2, each frame 11 is provided with a seat 151, a back support 152, a leg support 153, a foot support 154, and a handle 155. Each frame 11 is also provided with arm supports (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, each frame 11 has a front piece 11f, a rear piece 11r, an upper piece 11u, and a lower piece 11d. The front piece 11f is located on the front side of the wheelchair 10. The front piece 11f extends in the vertical direction. The rear piece 11r is located on the rear side of the wheelchair 10. The rear piece 11r also extends in the vertical direction. The upper piece 11u is located on the upper side of the wheelchair 10. The upper piece 11u extends in the front-to-rear direction. The lower piece 11d is located on the lower side of the wheelchair 10. The lower piece 11d also extends in the front-to-rear direction. The upper piece 11u is connected to the front piece 11f and the rear piece 11r. The lower piece 11d is connected to the front piece 11f and the rear piece 11r. A front wheel 12 is connected below the front piece 11f. The front wheel 12 is an auxiliary wheel. The axle 131 of the rear wheel 13 is connected to the middle of the rear piece 11r. For ease of explanation, the axle of the rear wheel 13 is not shown in Figure 2. The rear wheel 13 is a drive wheel.

In this embodiment, the anchor bar 14 extends in the width direction of the wheelchair 10. There are no particular limitations on the location where the anchor bar 14 is fixed. The anchor bar 14 may be located between the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 13, but is preferably located inside the outer periphery of the rear wheel 13 and below the axle 131 of the rear wheel 13 when the wheelchair 10 is viewed from the side while mounted on the rear floor 110, as in this embodiment. The outer periphery of the rear wheel 13 refers to the outer periphery of the rubber tire attached to the outer periphery of the rim of the rear wheel 13.

The anchor bar 14 becomes the center of rotation during a frontal collision of the vehicle 100. This embodiment, in which the anchor bar 14 is located inside the outer periphery of the rear wheel 13 and below the axle 131 of the rear wheel 13, is compared with another embodiment in which the anchor bar 14 is located between the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 13. When viewed from the side with the wheelchair 10 mounted on the rear floor 110, the center of gravity G of the wheelchair 10 is located inside the outer periphery of the rear wheel 13 and forward and above the axle 131. In the above-mentioned other embodiment, during a frontal collision, the front wheels of the wheelchair attempt to shift downward and the rear wheels attempt to shift upward, causing the center of gravity of the wheelchair to rotate forward and upward. As a result, the front wheels of the wheelchair are pressed against the rear floor, and the rear wheels are not pressed against the rear floor. This results in a large load acting on the front wheels of the wheelchair. On the other hand, in the case of this embodiment, in the event of a frontal collision, not only the front wheels 12 but also the rear wheels 13 tend to shift downward, compared to the other embodiment, and the center of gravity G of the wheelchair 10 rotates forward and downward. As a result, both the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13 are pressed against the rear floor 110. This makes it easier to distribute the load between the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13.

To facilitate distribution of the load, the anchor bar 14 is preferably provided in the area below the axle 131, in the area surrounded by the first imaginary line V1 and the second imaginary line V2. The first imaginary line V1 is a straight line passing through the axle 131 and forms an angle of +α with the reference imaginary line V0. The second imaginary line V2 is a straight line passing through the axle 131 and forms an angle of -α with the reference imaginary line V0. The reference imaginary line V0 is a straight line passing through the axle 131 and extending in the vertical direction. The reference imaginary line V0 is defined as 0°. The first imaginary line V1 is located further forward on the vehicle 100 than the reference imaginary line V0. In other words, a positive angle refers to an angle further forward on the vehicle 100 than the reference imaginary line V0. The second imaginary line V2 is located further rearward on the vehicle 100 than the reference imaginary line V0. In other words, a negative angle refers to an angle further rearward on the vehicle 100 than the reference imaginary line V0. The angle α is, for example, 60°. The angle α is preferably 45°, more preferably 30°, and particularly preferably 15°.

To facilitate distribution of the load, it is particularly preferable that the anchor bar 14 be provided on the reference virtual line V0 or in the area between the reference virtual line V0 and the second virtual line V2, where the angle α is 15°. In this embodiment, the anchor bar 14 is provided near the reference virtual line V0. In this embodiment, the anchor bar 14 is provided behind the reference virtual line V0 when the wheelchair 10 is viewed from the side while mounted on a horizontal surface. It is preferable that the anchor bar 14 be located below the heel of the foot support 154.

In this embodiment, the anchor bar 14 is fixed to the frame 11 via a bracket 14b, as shown in Figure 2. For ease of explanation, the bracket 14b is not shown in Figure 1. The bracket 14b extends downward from the connection point between the rear piece 11r and the lower piece 11d. The anchor bar 14 is fixed so as to connect the lower ends of the brackets 14b. The method of fixing the frame 11 to the bracket 14b and the method of fixing the bracket 14b to the anchor bar 14 can be selected appropriately, such as welding. Unlike this embodiment, the anchor bar 14 may be fixed directly to the frame 11. For example, the rear piece 11r may extend downward beyond the lower piece 11d, and the anchor bar 14 may be fixed so as to connect the ends of the brackets 14b.

[Electric winch]
As shown in Figure 1, the electric winch 2 pulls the wheelchair 10 towards the front of the vehicle 100. Therefore, the electric winch 2 can prevent the wheelchair 10 from moving backward. There are two electric winches 2. The two electric winches 2 are provided on the left and right sides of the front side of the rear floor 110. Each electric winch 2 can be configured in a known manner. Each electric winch 2 includes, for example, a winding device 21, a locking mechanism, a belt 22, and a hook 23. The locking mechanism is not shown in the figure.

The retracting device 21 retracts the belt 22. The retraction of the belt 22 by the retracting device 21 can be controlled by a remote controller (not shown). The locking mechanism prevents the belt 22 from being unwound. A ratchet mechanism, for example, can be used as the locking mechanism. This locking mechanism can be released by the remote controller. Specifically, when the retracting operation is performed by the remote controller, the retracting device 21 rotates in the direction in which the belt 22 is retracted, thereby releasing the engagement between the ratchet mechanism's pawl and gear, and the pawl moves away from the gear. This allows the belt 22 to be unwound. The belt 22 is connected to the retracting device 21. A hook 23 is provided at the tip of the belt 22. The hook 23 is hooked onto the frame 11.

[Stopper part]
The stopper portion 3 prevents the anchor bar 14 from moving forward. Preventing the anchor bar 14 from moving forward prevents the wheelchair 10 from moving forward. The stopper portion 3 is provided on the rear floor 110 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 100. The stopper portion 3 is provided on the slide mechanism 4.

As shown in Figure 3, the stopper portion 3 has an abutment portion 30. As shown in Figure 3(d), the abutment portion 30 abuts against the advancing anchor bar 14. This abutment restricts the forward movement of the wheelchair 10. As shown in Figure 3(a), the stopper portion 3 in this embodiment comprises, from the front to the rear, a base portion 31, a first pivoting portion 32, a first main body portion 33, a second pivoting portion 34, and a second main body portion 35. In this embodiment, the first main body portion 33 has the abutment portion 30.

The base 31 is connected to a slider 41, which will be described later with reference to Figure 4. The first pivoting portion 32 connects the first main body portion 33 to the base 31 so that the first main body portion 33 can pivot freely in the vertical direction. The first main body portion 33 is configured in a flat plate shape. An abutment portion 30 is provided on the underside of the first main body portion 33. The range of rotation of the first main body portion 33 by the first pivoting portion 32 is, for example, between a first position shown in Figure 3(a) and a second position shown in Figure 3(d). The first position is a position parallel to the upper surface of the base 31. The second position is a position where the angle formed between the first main body portion 33 and the upper surface of the base 31 is less than 90°. The second position is preferably a position where the angle formed is 60° or less, more preferably 45° or less, and particularly preferably 30° or less.

The second pivoting portion 34 connects the second main body portion 35 to the first main body portion 33 so that it can pivot freely in the up-down direction. The second main body portion 35 is configured as a curved plate. The underside of the second main body portion 35 has an inclined surface 351 that slopes upward from midway in the front-to-rear direction toward the rear end. This inclined surface 351 guides the anchor bar 14 to the abutment portion 30 of the first main body portion 33. The range of rotation of the second main body portion 35 by the second pivoting portion 34 is between the first position shown in FIG. 3(a) and the second position shown in FIG. 3(d). The first position is a position where the upper surfaces of the first main body portion 33 and the second main body portion 35 are flush with each other. The second position is a position where the rear end of the second main body portion 35 is lower than the front end when the anchor bar 14 abuts against the abutment portion 30 of the first main body portion 33.

Before the anchor bar 14 contacts the rear end of the inclined surface 351, the height of the rear end is higher than the height of the anchor bar 14. The height of the rear end of the inclined surface 351, i.e., the height of the rear end of the second main body portion 35, is preferably lower than the height of the heel of the foot support 154. The foot support 154 is positioned forward of the anchor bar 14. Therefore, the foot support 154 must pass above the stopper portion 3 before the anchor bar 14 contacts the contact portion 30. If the height of the rear end of the second main body portion 35 is lower than the height of the heel of the foot support 154, it is not necessary to lift the front side of the wheelchair 10 upward to prevent the foot support 154 from getting caught on the stopper portion 3. This makes it easier to contact the anchor bar 14 with the contact portion 30.

[Slide mechanism]
The slide mechanism 4 supports the stopper portion 3 so that it can slide freely in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100. The slide mechanism 4 is provided on the rear floor 110. The slide mechanism 4 in this embodiment includes a slider 41, a rail 42, a wire 43, a winding mechanism 44, a locking mechanism 45, and an unlocking mechanism 46. For ease of explanation, the winding mechanism 44 and the locking mechanism 45 are simply shown in FIG. 4 . The slide mechanism 4 may include a belt instead of the wire 43.

The slider 41 slides relative to the rail 42. The base 31 of the stopper portion 3 is connected to this slider 41. The rail 42 is arranged along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100. The wire 43 connects the slider 41 to the winding mechanism 44. The winding mechanism 44 winds up the wire 43. A known configuration can be used for the winding mechanism 44. Although not shown in the figure, the internal structure of the winding mechanism 44 can be configured, for example, to include a pulley and a winding spring. The locking mechanism 45 prevents the wire 43 from being unwound. Therefore, the locking mechanism 45 can prevent the slider 41 from moving forward. Although not shown in the figure, the locking mechanism 45 can be configured, for example, as a ratchet mechanism. The unlocking mechanism 46 releases the lock of the locking mechanism 45. This release allows the wire 43 to be unwound. The unlocking mechanism 46 disengages the ratchet mechanism's pawl from the gear, separating the pawl from the gear. This unlocking mechanism 46 allows the slider 41 to move forward. Instead of the winding mechanism 44, a pull-out structure that utilizes spring tension can also be used.

[Procedure for securing a wheelchair]
When the wheelchair 10 moves forward in the luggage compartment by being pulled forward by the electric winch 2, the anchor bar 14 comes into contact with the inclined surface 351 of the stopper portion 3, as shown in FIG. 3( a). As the anchor bar 14 moves further forward, the first main body portion 33 and the second main body portion 35 rotate upward around the first rotating portion 32 as a rotation axis, as shown in FIG. 3( b). As the anchor bar 14 moves further forward and advances further than the second rotating portion 34 as shown in FIG. 3( c), the second main body portion 35 rotates downward around the second rotating portion 34 as a rotation axis. As the anchor bar 14 moves further forward, the anchor bar 14 abuts against the abutment portion 30, as shown in FIG. 3( d). The second main body portion 35 rotates further downward. By rotating the second main body portion 35 downward, it is easier to lower the height of the stopper portion 3 when the anchor bar 14 is in contact with the abutment portion 30, compared to when the stopper portion 3 does not have the second rotating portion 34.

When it is desired to adjust the fixed position of the wheelchair 10, the following procedure is followed. The lock mechanism 45 is unlocked by operating the unlocking mechanism 46 shown in Figure 4. The wheelchair 10 is moved forward, causing the anchor bar 14 to push the abutment portion 30 forward. The slider 41 is moved forward until the fixed position of the wheelchair 10 is in the desired position. Once the fixed position of the wheelchair 10 is in the desired position, the operation of the unlocking mechanism 46 is released, which locks the locking mechanism 45 and stops the forward movement of the slider 41.

[Procedure for unlocking a wheelchair]
The locking mechanism of the electric winch 2 is unlocked by operating the remote controller. Since the anchor bar 14 is only in contact with the contact portion 30, it is sufficient to simply move the wheelchair 10 backward.

If the lock cannot be released by the release operation due to reasons such as the remote controller not working, the following procedure is followed: Activate the lock release mechanism 46 of the slide mechanism 4 and move the wheelchair 10 forward. As the wheelchair 10 moves forward, the belt 22 can be loosened, allowing the hook 23 to be removed from the frame 11 of the wheelchair 10. Then, move the wheelchair 10 backward.

[Action and effect]
The wheelchair fixing structure 1 is equipped with an electric winch 2, thereby preventing the wheelchair 10 from moving backward. The wheelchair fixing structure 1 is equipped with a stopper portion 3 having an abutment portion 30, thereby preventing the wheelchair 10 from moving forward. Therefore, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 can fix the wheelchair 10 to the rear floor 110. The wheelchair fixing structure 1 can prevent the wheelchair 10 from moving forward simply by the anchor bar 14 abutting against the abutment portion 30 of the stopper portion 3. Therefore, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 can easily and reliably fix the wheelchair 10 to the rear floor 110. Furthermore, because the wheelchair fixing structure 1 only has the anchor bar 14 abutting against the abutment portion 30 of the stopper portion 3, the wheelchair 10 can be released from its position simply by unlocking the locking mechanism of the electric winch 2 and moving the wheelchair 10 backward.

The wheelchair fixing structure 1 allows the position of the stopper portion 3 to be changed using the slide mechanism 4. In other words, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 allows fine adjustment of the fixing point of the wheelchair 10. Therefore, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 is easy to use. In particular, even if the locking mechanism of the electric winch 2 is not released by the release operation of the remote controller, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 allows the hook 23 to be detached from the frame 11 of the wheelchair 10 using the slide mechanism 4, so the wheelchair 10 can be released from its fixed position.

In the wheelchair fixing structure 1, the anchor bar 14 is located inside the outer periphery of the rear wheel 13 of the wheelchair 10 and near the vertically below the axle 131 of the rear wheel 13. This makes it easier for the load of the vehicle 100 to be applied to the rear wheel 13 of the wheelchair 10 compared to when the anchor bar 14 is located between the front wheel 12 and rear wheel 13 of the wheelchair 10. In other words, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 makes it easier to prevent a large load from being applied to the front wheel 12 of the wheelchair 10 during a frontal collision. Therefore, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 makes it easier to prevent damage to the front wheel 12 during a frontal collision. Therefore, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 does not require a separate member to reinforce the front wheel 12. Furthermore, because the anchor bar 14 is located inside the outer periphery of the rear wheel 13, the wheelchair fixing structure 1 allows the rear wheel 13 to contact a step before the anchor bar 14. When the rear wheel 13 goes over a step, the anchor bar 14 is located inside the outer edge of the rear wheel 13 and does not come into contact with the step. Therefore, with the wheelchair fixing structure 1, the anchor bar 14 is less likely to get caught on the step when the wheelchair 10 goes over the step.

<<Notes>>
In relation to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the following supplementary notes are further disclosed.

[Appendix 1]
a stopper portion that abuts or engages with an anchor bar set on a wheelchair mounted on the rear floor of a vehicle and restricts the wheelchair from moving forward of the vehicle;
the stopper portion is set on the rear floor so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
Vehicle structure.

The vehicle structure described in Appendix 1 above can achieve the same effects as the wheelchair fixing structure according to one aspect of the present invention described above.

The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, the stopper portion may have an engagement portion. The engagement portion hooks onto the outer peripheral surface of the anchor bar from the upper side, through the rear side, to the lower side. The engagement portion may be configured in a curved shape. The curved engagement portion may be provided so as to connect to the rear of the abutment portion. When an engagement portion is included, when releasing the wheelchair, the engagement between the anchor bar and the engagement portion is released by pulling the stopper portion upward. When the stopper portion has an engagement portion, the wheelchair fixing structure does not need to be equipped with an electric winch.

The stopper portion may be composed of, for example, an L-shaped member. The L-shaped stopper portion may be composed of a vertical piece extending in the up-down direction and a horizontal piece extending from the upper end of the vertical piece toward the rear of the vehicle. The L-shaped stopper portion may be provided in a state where it always protrudes above the rear floor, or may be provided so that it can be freely inserted and removed from the rear floor.

The anchor bar may be detachable from the wheelchair frame. For example, it may be a bracket with a screw-type or quick-release clamp attached.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheelchair fixing structure 10 Wheelchair 11 Frame 11f Front piece, 11r Rear piece, 11u Upper piece, 11d Lower piece 12 Front wheel, 13 Rear wheel, 131 Axle 14 Anchor bar, 14b Bracket 151 Seat, 152 Back support, 153 Leg support 154 Foot support, 155 Handle 2 Electric winch 21 Winding device, 22 Belt, 23 Hook 3 Stopper portion 30 Contact portion, 31 Base 32 First rotating portion, 33 First main body portion, 34 Second rotating portion 35 Second main body portion, 351 Inclined surface 4 Slide mechanism 41 Slider, 42 Rail, 43 Wire 44 Winding mechanism, 45 Locking mechanism, 46 Unlocking mechanism 100 Vehicle, 110 Rear floor G Center of gravity V0: Reference virtual line, V1: First virtual line, V2: Second virtual line α: Angle

Claims (1)

A wheelchair mounted on the rear floor of the vehicle;
a stopper portion that abuts or engages with an anchor bar set on the wheelchair and restricts the wheelchair from moving forward on the vehicle;
a slide mechanism that slides the stopper portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle on the rear floor,
The stopper portion has a structure in which the anchor bar, which moves forward as the wheelchair moves forward, automatically abuts or engages with the stopper portion,
The slide mechanism is
a slider to which the stopper portion is connected;
a locking mechanism that prevents the slider from moving forward at any position within the sliding range of the slider;
a lock release mechanism that releases the lock mechanism to allow the slider to move forward,
the lock release mechanism releases the lock mechanism, causing the advanced anchor bar to press the stopper portion forward, thereby allowing the slider and the stopper portion to advance.
Wheelchair fixing structure.