JPH038774B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a care device used to care for physically disabled persons, bedridden elderly persons, and the like.

When we look at the content of caring for physically disabled people, bedridden elderly people, etc. (hereinafter referred to as care recipients), we find that they include bathing, excretion, dressing and undressing, eating, and transportation, and most of these involve transportation (transportation). ). Transporting such a cared person places an extremely heavy physical and mental burden on the person providing care (hereinafter referred to as a carer). For that reason, today
In addition to manual care, mechanically powered care devices are being used in combination to reduce the burden on caregivers.

Even among care recipients, not all people are completely disabled in their limbs, and there are quite a number of people who have some degree of hand function. If such a person has a suitable nursing care device, he or she will not only be able to set the nursing care device on themselves, but also be able to drive and move themselves, for example from a bed to a wheelchair. It is something.

In addition, the main place of care recipient's daily life is the bedroom, and of course bathing and excretion are also common in daily life.

From the above, it is possible to install a traveling rail on the ceiling of the room, for example between the bed in the bedroom and the bathtub in the bathroom, and to make the main body of the care device that can lift the care recipient self-propel. If the care device is configured in this manner, the care recipient can be easily transported.

It is desirable that the running rail on which the nursing care device is installed can be installed in a straight line, for example between a bedroom and a bathroom, but in existing hospitals and other facilities, or in ordinary homes, it is difficult to It is difficult to arrange a running rail in a straight line, and the running rail often ends up having a curved path.

By the way, when the nursing care device main body includes an electrical device, a power source is required. If we use the so-called power supply, which is widely used and is distributed from electric power companies to households, etc., as this power source, the power must be led from a predetermined position to the nursing care device itself via a cable, etc. .

However, considering the purpose of use, the main body of the nursing care device is installed so that it can be moved on a traveling rail installed at a high place such as the ceiling, so if it is powered by cable, the cable used must be constructed and provided so that it can move and extend as the main body of the care device moves.

However, in so-called cable power supply, the cable is supported by a cable rail via a plurality of movable carriers, so if the cable rail has a curved path, When we look at the state in which the cable passes through this curved section of the rail, the cable between each carrier becomes a chord with respect to the arc of the curved section of the rail.
If the distance between the carriers is larger than the curved path, the cable will not be able to pass through this curved path, making it difficult to install freely, especially in existing buildings, and moving the nursing care device. The range will be limited.

Furthermore, in the case of cable power supply, the cables between the carriers hang down, which not only confuses people in the room but also is not aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, when the cables are not in use, they are collected in one place, but a storage space is required for the cables.

Therefore, in view of the above, in the case of a nursing care device installed and used indoors in a building, which is the object of the present invention, nursing care is provided by a so-called cable power supply using a cable supported by a cable rail via a carrier. There are naturally limits to how much power can be supplied to the main body of the device.

Because of the above, instead of the so-called cable power supply in which the nursing care device itself pulls the cable, a power supply rail is installed along the running rail on the ceiling.
A conceivable configuration is to provide the nursing care device main body with a current collecting pole that moves in abutment engagement with the power feeding rail, and to supply power to the nursing care device main body. With this configuration, even if the running rail has a curved path, a power supply rail can be provided along it, and this power supply rail is fixed, and the current collection pole is in contact with this power supply rail. Because it moves by engaging,
It has the advantage of being able to pass through curves without any problems. However, in this type of power supply method using a power supply rail or current collection pole, the power supply rail is a bare conductor, and it is not desirable from a safety point of view that it is placed on the ceiling, especially in places such as bathrooms. In a humid atmosphere, the rails may become wet due to dew condensation, which is dangerous.

Therefore, for the above-mentioned reasons, using so-called electricity selling as the power supply for the main body of the nursing care device and feeding it by a cable, a power supply rail, or a current collecting pole is not suitable for the nursing care device whose purpose is to care for people. This nursing care device is aimed at a special device called
Judging from the fact that it is used in hospitals, facilities, or general households, it is not desirable.

Furthermore, in the case of the nursing care device targeted by the present invention, if it is used exclusively by one person being cared for, the amount of time it is used in a day is very small, However, continuous operation for long periods of time is almost never the case. Examples of use include single-time use such as when moving from bed to wheelchair, floor, toilet, etc., and when ascending and descending.
It spends much more time at rest than when it is actually in use, and its power consumption is extremely low.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a battery and an inverter device in the main body of the nursing care device, and uses the battery as a power source for the nursing care device.
In addition, electric motors such as a traveling motor and a hoisting motor included in the main body of the nursing care device are constituted by alternating current machines, and these electric motors are configured to be driven by alternating current obtained by converting the direct current of the battery with an inverter device, and the cable without special power supply equipment such as
It is easy to install, can be moved to any location just by installing a running rail, has a wide operating range, and has the characteristics of stable operation without maintenance by using an AC motor. The purpose is to obtain an inexpensive nursing care device.

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First, what is shown in FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of the nursing care device according to the present invention installed indoors.

Inside the bedroom 10, which can be accessed from the bed 13,
Bets 11 are set. Further, on the other side of the door 14 is a bathroom (not shown) in which a bathtub is installed. A traveling rail 2 having a curved path in part is provided between the bedroom 10 and the bathroom and located at the ceiling 101. On this traveling rail 2, a care device main body 3 capable of lifting and transporting a care recipient 7 is provided. Partition walls 101 and 102 forming the bedroom 10 and the bathroom are provided with cutouts 15 and 16 so that the traveling rail 3 can be installed therethrough and the nursing care device main body 3 can pass therethrough. Further, in the notches 15 and 16, there are membranes 17 and 1 so as to cover these notches 15 and 16.
8 are provided respectively. These tunica 17 and 1
Reference numeral 8 is made of a moisture-resistant and flexible member such as vinyl, and is formed with a slit etc. so that the nursing care device main body 3 can easily pass through. By providing these membranes 17 and 18, a partitioning effect is obtained, and moisture in the bathroom, for example, is prevented from penetrating into the bedroom 10. It is desirable to provide these membranes 17 and 18 on the indoor side where there is a lot of humidity, in order to dispose of water droplets that may form on the membranes. For example, the tunica 18 is located inside the bathroom. 12 is in a wheelchair.

Next, while referring to the above-mentioned FIG. 1, the structure of the running rail 2 will be explained in detail based on FIG. 2, and the structure of the nursing care device main body 3 based on FIGS. 2 to 4.

The traveling rail 2 consists of two pipe rails 21 and 22, and the pipe rails 21 and 22
are spaced apart in the vertical (vertical) direction and are integrally joined at a plurality of required locations by joining fittings 23. The traveling rail 2 is attached to the ceiling 101 via a support fitting 24 by selecting one of the coupling fittings 23 located at a plurality of positions. The support fittings 24 are integrally connected to solid objects such as a ceiling plate 27 and a beam 25 constituting the ceiling 101 by mounting bolts 25, so that the traveling rail 2 is disposed on the ceiling 101.

The reason why the traveling rail 2 is formed of pipe members as described above is that it is extremely easy to form a curved path, and if you want to make the traveling rail longer, it can be connected by simply fitting the connecting shaft into both pipes. This is based on the fact that the pipe member has advantages such as extremely simple structure of the connection part.For example, when installing the running rail 2 between the bedroom 10 and the bathroom, It can be easily installed in buildings with different floor plans.

Next, the configuration of the nursing care device main body 3 will be explained.

The nursing care device main body 3 includes a traveling vehicle 4 that engages with the traveling rail 2 to move the nursing care device main body 3, and a hoisting device that is provided below the traveling vehicle 4 and that lifts up the care recipient 7. The main components are a hoist 4 and a load block 6 attached to the hoist 4 via a rope 63, and is similar to a so-called hoist.

First, the portion of the vehicle 4 will be explained.

Reference numeral 41 denotes a traveling vehicle plate, and in FIG.
There are provided running wheels 42 and 43 that engage with the pipe rail 21 located on the upper side, and guide wheels 45 that engage with the pipe rail 22 located on the lower side.

These running wheels 42 and 43 are connected to the pipe rail 2
The nursing care device main body 3 is placed on the running rail 2. At least one of the traveling wheels 42 and 43 is driven by a traveling electric motor 46 via an electromagnetic clutch 45 provided on the front side of the traveling vehicle plate 41 in FIG. The main body 3 of the nursing care device is moved along the running rail 2.

This traveling electric motor 46 is connected to a battery 591 which will be described later.
It is driven by alternating current that is converted by the inverter device 592, and is constituted by an alternating current machine.

Further, the guide wheels 44 are provided on the left and right sides of the pipe rail 22 in the horizontal direction, and are arranged so as to support the pipe rail 22 from both sides by the pair of guide wheels 44. 44 is for preventing the care device main body 3 from tilting.

The mutual arrangement relationship between these running wheels 42 and 43 and the pair of guide wheels 44 is as follows:
However, the guide wheels 44 are provided directly below the running wheels 42 so that the running rail 2 can smoothly pass through curved roads. Of course, this guide wheel 44 may be provided directly below the other running wheel 43, or may be provided directly below both running wheels 42 and 43.

Next, the hoisting machine 5 for hoisting the cared person 7 will be explained. In the present invention, as an example, a load balancing hoist capable of balancing arbitrary loads is used as the hoisting machine 5. This type of load balancing hoist has an electromagnetic clutch such as a powder clutch interposed between the hoisting motor and the winding drum that winds the rope, and lifts the load by controlling the electromagnetic clutch according to the load. It has the feature of being able to stand still in a certain state.

The hoisting machine 5 according to the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 3, 501 and 502 are left and right frames that are divided into left and right sides and are placed facing each other. A hoisting motor 51 is provided on the outside (left side in the figure) of the left frame 501, while a powder clutch 53 is provided on the inside (right side in the figure). This hoisting motor 51
is driven by alternating current obtained by converting the direct current of a battery 591, which will be described later, by an inverter device 592, and is constituted by an alternating current machine. A large-diameter gear 521 is provided on the input shaft 531 of the powder clutch 53, and a small-diameter gear 511 is provided on the output shaft of the hoisting motor 51 so as to mesh with this gear 521. and the powder clutch 53 with the required reduction ratio.
A deceleration section 52 is formed.

An intermediate frame 503 is provided on the left side of the right frame 502 in the figure, and this intermediate frame 503
is integrally connected to the right frame 502 via bolts 504. Also, this intermediate frame 5
03, the output shaft 532 of the powder clutch 53
are inserted, and the intermediate frame 503 and powder clutch 53 are integrally connected by bolts 533. A drive gear 561 is provided on the output shaft 532 of the powder clutch 53, for example by spline connection, and the drive gear 561
An idle gear 562 that meshes with is rotatably supported between the intermediate frame 503 and the right frame 502. 57 is rope 63
This is a winding drum that winds up the winding drum 57.
is fixed to a drum shaft 571 rotatably provided between the left and right frames 501 and 502. A gear 572 that meshes with the idle gear 562 is provided in the axially intermediate portion of the winding drum 57. This gear 572, the idle gear 562, and the drive gear 561 are used to reduce the speed at a required reduction ratio. 2 speed reduction portions 56 are formed.

This winding drum 57 also has a gear 57 in the middle.
The winding drum 57 winds up the rope 63 on both sides in the axial direction, and constitutes a so-called four-rope hoist 5. It is. For this purpose, the support part 505 of the intermediate frame 503, the support part 506 of the right frame 502...
(portions indicated by imaginary lines in FIG. 3) A rotatable equalizer sheave 58, on which a rope 63 is wrapped, is provided between the two.

An electromagnetic brake 54 is provided on the right side of the right frame 502, and a brake shaft 541 of the electromagnetic brake 54 passes through the right frame 502 and is connected to the end of the output shaft 532 of the powder clutch 53 by, for example, spline connection. connected. At the right end of the brake shaft 541 in the figure, there is a disc 5 having a large number of radial slits on its outer circumference.
51 is provided, and a rotation detector 552 is provided on the right side frame 502 so as to straddle the slit portion on the outer periphery of this disk 551.
52 and the disk 551 constitute a necessary rotation detection device 55.

Reference numeral 59 denotes a control box, and the control box 59 houses a control device (not shown), a battery 591, and an inverter device 592 that converts direct current into alternating current. This control box 59 is attached to the right side frame 502 via a set screw 592 and is configured to cover the electromagnetic brake 54 and rotation detection device 55.

The battery 591 serves as a power source for the nursing care device, and in the present invention, the inverter device 5
The direct current of the battery is converted into alternating current by the converter 92, and the electrical power is supplied to electric equipment in the nursing care device, such as the traveling motor 45 and the hoisting motor 51, which are made up of the above-mentioned alternating current machine. However, there are some electrical devices whose characteristics are better when used with direct current, such as the powder clutch 53 in the hoisting machine 5. When this type of powder clutch is used with an AC power source, there is a problem that the efficiency of the clutch becomes unstable because the AC is a pulsating current, so this type of powder clutch has been limited to use with a DC power source. For electrical equipment that should be used with a DC power source due to its characteristics, the inverter device 5
Power is supplied directly from the battery 591 without going through the battery 592.

This battery 591 uses, for example, 35Ah/20HR, which is widely used as a power source for automobiles, and outputs to the nursing care device main body 3 made of the present invention.
When the traveling electric motor 45 of 30 W and the hoisting electric motor 51 of 70 W are used, the time that can be continuously operated with the cared person 7 suspended is about 2 hours to 2.5 hours.

When transporting person 7, care recipient 7 is not used continuously, but from a bed to a wheelchair.
Since the device is transported to a short distance, such as a bathroom, and the time required for transportation is short, it can be used even if it is powered by a battery, and if it runs out, it can be charged and used.

507 is a cover, and the left and right frames 50
1 and 502, and covers the powder clutch 53, winding drum 57, equalizer sheave 58, etc. This cover 50
The lower part of the hoist 5 of 7 is the rope 6
3 is provided with a notch through which it is inserted, and it is configured so that it can be divided at required locations.

The hoisting machine 5 having the above configuration is attached to the traveling vehicle 4 via mounting portions 508 and 509 that are integrally provided on the left and right frames 501 and 502.
It is integrally connected to the traveling vehicle plate 41 of.

Next, the load block 6 and hanging fittings 68 will be explained based on FIGS. 2 and 4.

The load block 6 includes two sheaves 611 and 612 rotatably provided on a sheave shaft (not shown) having a hanging shaft 60, and a sheave case 621 that covers these sheaves 611 and 612 and is fixed to the sheave shaft (not shown). and 622.

Sheaves 611 and 61 of this roadblock 6
A rope 63 whose both ends are fixed to the winding drum 57 is passed around the equalizer sheave 58 .

64 is a curl cord comprising a power supply line and a signal line, and this curl cord 64 is located between the hoisting machine 5 and the load block 6, and is connected to the It is formed in a spiral shape so that it can expand and contract according to the movement. This curl cord 64 is fixed to the cover 507 in the part of the hoisting machine 5, and is fixed to the control box 59.
It is electrically connected to a battery 591 and a control device (not shown). In addition, in the load block 6 portion, a relay terminal block 65 is fixed to the sheave case 621 via a stopper 641 and provided on the outer surface of the sheave case 621.
electrically connected to.

This relay terminal block 65 is connected to a connection terminal 66 connected to the power line in the curl cord 64, a signal line, and a cord 681 of the operation switch 68.
It is provided with a connection terminal (not shown) to which a connector 682 located at the tip of the connector 682 is connected.

The connection terminal 66 on the relay terminal block 65 is connected to the control box 59 via the power line inside the curl cord 64.
This connection terminal 66 is a terminal for connecting a charger used to charge the battery 591.

At the lower end of the hanging shaft 60 of the load block 6, there is provided a coupling 671 using a well-known steel ball that can detachably and rotatably connect the pair of shaft members.

Reference numeral 67 denotes a hanging metal fitting, which is detachably and rotatably connected to the hanging shaft 60 of the load block 6 via a coupling 671. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a hanging fixture 71 worn by the care recipient 7 is hung on the hanging fixture 67. This hanging fitting 67 also has an operation switch 6.
8 is attached, and this operation switch 68 is removably connected to the relay terminal block 65 provided on the load block 6 via a cord 681 and a connector 682.

As described above, the hanging fitting 67 and the operation switch 68 of the present invention are configured to be attachable to and detachable from the load block 6 because the hanging fittings 67 and the operation switch 68 are designed to be attached to and detached from the load block 6. Taking into consideration the need for metal fittings and the need to prepare a dedicated operation switch for the same reason, by changing only this part, care recipients in all situations can It is made to be usable.

Further, the operation switch that can operate the nursing care device main body 3 is not limited to the one operation switch 68 provided on the hanging metal fitting 67, and may be placed on or near the bed 11, or in the bathtub in the bathroom. It is convenient if the care recipient uses the care device by himself if it is provided nearby. Of course, these operation switches may be directly connected to the control device in the control box 59 of the nursing care device main body 3 via lead wires, but it is preferable to use a configuration that is operated by a so-called remote control and does not include lead wires. .

Next, the state of use of the care device configured as described above will be described with reference to the case where the care recipient 7 is using it alone.

For example, when the cared person 7 is taking a bath, the cared person 7 on the bed can use a hand switch (having the same function as the operation switch 68) installed on the bed or within reach. ), the nursing care device main body 3 on the running rail 2 is brought to the bed and the road block 6 is lowered. Care recipient 7 is in sling 7
1 on oneself and hooked on a hanging fitting 67 provided at the bottom of the road block 6. Then, by operating the operation switch 68 provided on the hanging fitting 67, it lifts itself up, stops the rise at a predetermined position, and then travels on the traveling rail 2 and moves to the top of the bathtub in the bathroom, Stop at this position. Then descend and care recipient 7
enters the bathtub, removes the hanger 71 attached to the person, raises the load block 6 using another operation switch located within reach from inside the bathtub, and lifts the care recipient 7. This completes the transfer from the bed to the bathtub by the patient himself. After bathing, the transfer from the bathtub to the bed can be carried out in the reverse order of the above-mentioned operation, so the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In addition, if the cared person 7 is unable to operate the nursing care device body by himself or herself, a caregiver is required to accompany the person. This is performed by a caregiver, and other matters are the same as those performed by the cared person himself/herself, so an explanation of how to use the device when provided by a caregiver will be omitted.

Note that the hoisting machine 4 in the nursing care device main body 3
The hoist 4 has a similar configuration to a so-called hoist, and this hoist 4 is generally widely used for cargo handling. Even if it is an ordinary hoist that is configured to move a load up and down and stop this up and down movement by operating a brake, there is no particular problem in its function as a nursing care device.

However, as explained in the above embodiment, if the hoisting machine 5 is configured with a load balancing hoist that can freely balance any load, the care recipient will not be shocked when leaving or landing on the bed. It can be performed softly and can be performed smoothly when sitting in a wheelchair or entering a bathtub. In addition, the load can be balanced, so if the load is balanced in the suspended state, the caregiver can care for the care recipient (up and down movement) with only slight auxiliary force, and the caregiver can without relying solely on purely mechanical operations (operation of operation switches).
Once the balance is achieved, the caregiver can touch the care receiver with both hands and thereby care for the care receiver (up and down). For this reason, in cases where bathing was conventionally performed by two or more caregivers, bathing can be easily performed by one caregiver, and the care recipient can easily take a bath. It gives people a sense of security and further improves their skinship. From these points of view, it is desirable to use a load balancing hoist for the hoisting machine 5.

In the nursing care device of the present invention having the configuration described above, since the power source of the nursing care device main body 3 is a battery, the nursing care device can be configured only with the traveling rail 2 and the nursing care device main body 3, and cables, power supply rails, etc. A special power supply device is completely unnecessary, and a nursing care device that is simplified accordingly can be constructed.

Therefore, by simply extending the traveling rail 2, the range of movement of the nursing care device main body 3 is expanded, and it can move smoothly even on curved roads, and the range of installation and use is expanded. It can be installed and used in existing buildings with almost no modification required.

The nursing care device targeted by the present invention is
It is not intended for long-term continuous operation or frequent use, and even if the battery capacity is sufficient, it will be enough to cover one day's operation, and there will be no problems when using it. be.

The battery can be charged and used, and in the present invention, the connection terminal 66, which is connected to the charger or directly to the power supply when charging, is provided on the part of the load block 6 that moves up and down. The battery 591 provided in the control box 59 of the nursing care device main body 3 at a location can be easily charged.

Since it is a battery power source, it can be used without any problem even if the electricity sold from the electric power company is cut off.

When the power source is DC, the motor is generally configured with a DC machine, but DC machines are equipped with brushes, which require maintenance, inspection, and replacement. Since the noise generated by this brush portion is large, it is not preferable due to the nature of the nursing care device to which the present invention is directed.

However, in the present invention, the battery 591
Since the direct current of In addition, the nursing care device of the present invention can be used indoors and is intended for people with physical disabilities. Therefore, maintenance-free, low-noise care equipment is highly desirable.

In the case of powder clutches, the alternating current is a pulsating flow, so the efficiency is unstable.
In the case of an AC power source, it is common to use an AC to DC converter to convert it to DC and then supply the power, but in the present invention, since the DC power source is a battery, such a device is not required at all. First, it has the effect that power can be directly supplied to the powder clutch from the battery.

The nursing care device of the present invention, which is configured as described above and has various effects as described above, has a built-in battery as a power source and is self-propelled because the nursing care device main body 3 has a built-in battery as a power source. It can be easily installed by simply arranging the running rail 2 at the top.

In addition, the hoisting machine 5 in the nursing care device main body 3 can freely balance any load.
If it is configured as a load balancing hoist, it is possible to obtain a high-performance nursing care device that is easy to handle.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a nursing care device according to the present invention placed in a building, Fig. 2 is a front view of the main body of the care device, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A' in Fig. 2. , FIG. 4 is a view taken along arrow B in FIG. 2 is a traveling rail, 3 is a care device main body, 591 is a battery, 592 is an inverter device, and 7 is a cared person.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A single rail with a curved path is installed on a solid object such as a ceiling board or a beam that constitutes the ceiling of multiple rooms, etc., and this single rail is equipped with running wheels that run on the rail and cover the ceiling. The main body of the care device that lifts the caregiver is suspended, and the main body of the care device includes a traveling electric motor that rotationally drives the running wheels by an operation switch that can be operated by the care recipient, and a driving motor that moves the care recipient up and down by operating the operation switch. and a hoisting machine having an electric motor to drive the nursing care device, and the nursing care device main body is provided with a battery and an inverter device that converts DC power of the battery into AC power, and at least one of the electric motors is connected to an AC generator. A nursing care device characterized in that it is driven by AC power from an inverter.