JPH0466587B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a personal care device for the elderly, etc., which enables safe and easy movement between facilities necessary for daily life, such as a bed and a bathtub or toilet. It is something.

[Prior Art and its Problems] In conventional devices of this type, a lift device is usually used to move the device from the bed to the bathtub or other equipment.

This has a basic problem in that the caregiver is forced to put in a considerable amount of effort in order to load and unload the person being cared for, such as an elderly person, on the lift. In addition, there is also the problem of making the cared person feel a sense of danger when getting on and off the lift or moving around on the lift.

In addition, an endless belt device is installed in the bathtub, and the person being cared for on a stretcher is placed on the endless belt device, and the person being cared for moves it to the center of the bathtub using the force of the person being cared for, and then opens the bathtub. A bathing device has also been proposed that allows a person to be cared for to take a bath on an endless belt device by raising and lowering the device (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 170456/1999). This is placed on a separately configured stretcher with an endless belt device, a stretcher carrying an elderly person, etc. is placed there, and the stretcher is moved to the endless belt device above the bathtub using the endless belt device. It is an attempt to do so.

Therefore, an assistant is required to move the person being cared for, such as an elderly person, to the stretcher and to move the stretcher, and this requires considerable effort.

In this device, the endless belt device is independent from the bed and cannot move the care recipient directly from the bed to the required position, and is only responsible for horizontal movement, so it is not necessary to raise or lower the bathtub. The structure is quite complicated in terms of the seal and mechanism.

In any case, this type of device requires considerable effort from the caregiver and generally has a complicated configuration.

The present invention solves the above problems of the conventional example,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a personal care device for the elderly, etc., which has a simple configuration, reduces the labor of a caregiver, and provides a sense of security to the care recipient.

[Means to solve the problem]

The gist of the present invention is to provide an endless conveyor member, in which at least a bed and a bathtub are arranged side by side, an endless conveyor member whose carrier side passes above the bed and bathtub, and whose return side passes below them. , at least a part of the carrier side of the endless conveyor member is constituted by a net member on which a person to be cared for can be placed; and a tension adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tension of the endless conveyor member, wherein the net member Or a tension adjustment mechanism configured so that when the device is positioned above the bathtub or other desired position, the tension can be loosened as necessary to lower the elderly person sitting on top of the device to the desired position, such as the bed or bathtub. This is a personal care device for the elderly, etc., which is attached with a driving means that can reciprocate the net member within a desired range, and is attached to the endless conveyor member.

The main body of the apparatus can be equipped with facilities necessary for the daily life of a cared person such as an elderly person in addition to the bed and bathtub, if desired. For example, a toilet, etc. These are arranged in a vertical positional relationship at the same position as the bed or bathtub, or if this is not possible, they are arranged in parallel so that the net member of the endless conveyor member passes above them.

The endless conveyor member can be constructed of an endless belt member satisfying the above conditions, two parallel wires described below, or the like.

When the above-mentioned endless belt member is employed, at least a portion of the belt member is constituted by a net member, as described above.

Further, when the wire is constructed basically using two parallel wires as described above, a part of the wire is constructed from a net member in the same way. The width of this net member should be sufficiently wider than the width of the bed.

In either case where the above endless belt member is adopted or when the structure with the above two parallel wires is adopted, it is recommended that shaft members etc. be placed at both ends of the net member with the above width to strengthen it. Appropriate. Further, it is preferable that rollers are arranged at both ends of the shaft member, and appropriate guides for each roller are arranged on both sides of the main body of the apparatus.

The tension adjustment mechanism is configured such that when the care recipient is placed on the net member of the endless conveyor member,
Its carrier side, including the net member, can be maintained approximately horizontally and, if necessary, the tension can be loosened, for example when said net member is located above a bed or over a bathtub. The bathtub is constructed so that the person can be lowered directly onto the bed or into the bathtub. The mechanism need not be that specific. For example, a part of the endless conveyor member may be pushed from the side between the upper carrier side and the lower return side to ensure tension, and the tension roller for this purpose may be a cylinder such as a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. It can be configured to be movable forward and backward by a coupling mechanism of a device, a rack and pinion and an electric motor, or a screw, a nut and an electric motor.

Further, as the driving means, an electric motor or the like can be appropriately selected.

[Effect]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to reduce the labor of a caregiver and eliminate the anxiety of the elderly or other care recipients, allowing them to move between various facilities, etc., in the following manner. It can be usefully used as a device.

Needless to say, this device is used by bedridden elderly people and other care recipients. In this device, the person to be cared for is placed on a net member of an endless conveyor member. When laying on a bed, the driving means is operated to move the net member of the endless conveyor member onto the bed, and after stopping there, the tension adjustment mechanism is operated to loosen the tension, and the net member of the endless conveyor member is moved onto the bed. The member is lowered onto the bed and brought into contact with the bed. In this way, the cared person resting on the net member lies on the bed while remaining on the bed. If the net member is configured to be comfortable to the touch, the care recipient can lie on the bed without moving anywhere on the net member, as described above. Needless to say, it is sufficient to put a pillow under the head and place a blanket, comforter, etc. over the person being cared for on the net member.

If the area near the center of the bed and the corresponding part of the net member are configured to be openable, and a toilet is provided below, the person being cared for can defecate or otherwise defecate without moving from the bed. It is.

When bathing a cared person, the caregiver removes the blanket, comforter, and pillow placed on the sleeping cared person, then operates the tension adjustment mechanism to increase the tension, and then the endless conveyor Raise the net member of the member. After doing so, the driving means is operated to move the carrier side of the endless conveyor member toward the bathtub. Once the movement of the endless conveyor member is stopped near the area between the bathtub and the bed, the person being cared for is allowed to undress (the person may be undressed on the bed in advance), and then the endless conveyor member is moved in the same direction to remove the clothes from the person being cared for. When the member reaches above the bathtub, the driving means is automatically or manually stopped. The tension adjustment mechanism is then operated to release the tension, thereby lowering the net member of the endless conveyor member into the bathtub. Of course, it goes without saying that you should fill the bathtub with hot water at an appropriate temperature beforehand. Hot water can be supplied from a suitable hot water facility using a hose or the like. In addition, drainage can be done simply by preparing a drainage outlet at the bottom of the bathtub and draining water through a hose connected to this outlet.

Note that the main body of the apparatus may be provided with special hot water supply equipment and piping for supply and drainage, thereby supplying and discharging hot water.

When the net member of the endless conveyor member is lowered as described above, the person being cared for on the net member can directly enter the hot water. By sufficiently loosening the tension on the endless conveyor member, the necessary movements can be made in the bathtub. On the other hand, by maintaining an appropriate tension, the cared person can maintain an appropriate posture, which is also safe.

When sufficient bathing is achieved, the tension adjustment mechanism is operated in a direction to tension the tensioner, and the net member is raised to make the carrier side of the endless conveyor member substantially horizontal as a whole. In this way, the person being cared for on the net member can get out of the bathtub.

Therefore, the care recipient's body is wiped on the spot, or the drive means is operated to move the carrier side of the endless conveyor member to the bed side, and when the net member reaches the middle between the bathtub and the bed, it is stopped. The care recipient's body will be wiped with If a hot air blowing means is configured and placed at this position, the hot air is applied to the cared person's body to wipe off hot water and dry the body at the same time. Then, the patient is made to put on clothes either on the spot or after being moved to the bed.

When the work at the above position is completed, the driving means is operated to move the carrier side of the endless conveyor member to the bed side, and when the net member reaches the bed, the driving means is stopped. Thereafter, the tension adjustment mechanism is operated in a direction to loosen the tension, and the net member is lowered onto the bed. The person being cared for can easily sleep on the bed by resting on the bed, then placing a pillow under the head and covering it with a blanket, comforter, etc.

As described above, according to the present invention, both the horizontal movement and the vertical movement can be easily achieved by moving the endless conveyor member on which the cared person is placed, so that the labor of the caregiver is greatly reduced. It is also an action that does not cause any anxiety to the person being cared for. Furthermore, since the endless conveyor member is wound around the upper and lower outer peripheries of the apparatus main body, the apparatus is extremely simple.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a bed 2 is disposed at the upper left side of the apparatus body 1, a bathtub 3 is disposed at the upper right side, and a saucer 4 is disposed between the bed 2 and the bathtub 3.

The bed 2 is composed of a mattress 2a and a frame 2b that supports the mattress 2a, and the frame 2b is fixed to the main body 1 of the apparatus. The bed 2 above is
As shown in FIG. 2, the arrangement is such that the care receiver can lie in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the device main body 1, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the device main body 1. A door (not shown) is provided on the side of the device main body 1 so that the pinerest 2a can be replaced if necessary.

The bathtub 3 is made of a stainless steel container body and has a drain port 5 at the bottom, like a general bathtub. A water stop valve s is removably inserted into the drain port 5 from inside the bathtub 3, and a hose 6 is connected from the outside.

Further, as described above, the tray 4 is located between the bed 2 and the bathtub 3, and the edge on the bathtub 3 side is disposed in contact with this. A drain port 7 is also formed at the bottom of the saucer 4, into which a water stop valve s is removably inserted, similar to the drain port 5, and a hose 8 is provided.
shall be connected. Further, above the tray 4, there is installed a blower pipe 9 having a large number of nozzles n, n, . The blower 10 is equipped with a blower in a machine box and a heater arranged in front of the blower. A sensor is installed in the middle of the blower pipe 9, and a control means for controlling the heater on and off by comparing the temperature sensed by the sensor with a reference temperature is attached to the electrical circuit of the heater. As will be described later, the purpose of this hot air is to dry the cared person's body after taking a bath, so this is to blow warm air at an appropriate temperature.

In addition, as shown in FIG.
, the carrier side passes above the bathtub 3,
An endless conveyor 11 is configured which descends at the front and rear ends and the return side passes below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the endless conveyor member 11 includes two wires 11 on both sides that pass through the upper, rear, lower and front ends of the apparatus main body 1 on both sides.
a, 11a, a planar rectangular net 11b disposed in a part between them, and the wire 11 at the position.
Wire wheels 11 at the front upper part, rear upper part, and rear lower part on both sides of the device main body 1 for winding the wire wheels 11a and 11a.
c, 11c, each pair of drive wheels 11d, 11d arranged at the front lower part on both sides of the device main body 1, and the device main body 1.
Tension wheels 11e arranged at the center of the rear on both sides of the
11e, and each upper and lower wire wheel 11f at the rear thereof,
11f.

Net 1 placed between the wires 11a, 11a
A plastic mesh is adopted as the net 1b, and shafts 12, 12 for supporting the net 11b are arranged at the front and rear ends of the net 11b, and shafts 12, 12 are also arranged inside the front end side and outside the rear end side. do. The connection between each corresponding position of the net 11b and each shaft 12 is achieved by forming a cylindrical part at each corresponding position of the net 11b, and passing each of the shafts 12 through each of the cylindrical parts. The positions immediately before both ends of each shaft 12 are connected to wires 11a, 11a.
Each shaft 12 has rollers 1 at both outer ends.
3 and 13 are rotatably disposed and are rotatably inserted into guide rails 14 and 14 arranged on both upper sides of the apparatus main body 1 and extending from the front end to the rear end. One of the guide rails 14, 14 has a U-shaped cross section, and the other has an inverted U-shape.

Each of the pair of driving wheels 11d, 11d has two circumferential grooves, and the wire wheel 1 above the device main body 1
The wire 11a extending from 1c is passed from one circumferential groove of the front driving wheel 11d to one circumferential groove of the rear driving wheel 11d, and then to the other circumferential groove of the front driving wheel 11d, and then to the rear driving wheel 11d. The wire 11a is extended to the other circumferential groove of the wheel 11d, and then the wire 11a is extended to the rear wire wheel 11c. Each of the drive wheels 11d and 11d has a coaxial gear, and a chain is connected to each gear, and a small gear is connected to the output shaft of the electric motor 15 and a small gear coaxially arranged on the rear drive wheel 11d. A chain will be placed between the small gear and the small gear. The electric motor 15 is equipped with a control switch for switching between forward and reverse rotation and controlling on/off. Further, the operation of the electric motor 15 is regulated so that the net 11b attached to the wires 11a, 11a does not move to the front of the bed 2 or to the rear of the bathtub 3.

Further, a shaft is arranged on the tension wheels 11e, 11e to coaxially connect them, and a cylinder nut 16a is connected to each end of the shaft,
Each cylinder nut 16a has a screw 16b.
are screwed together, and the output shaft of an electric motor 16c fixedly installed at the rear of the apparatus main body 1 is connected to the rear end of each screw 16b. Needless to say, the tension wheel 11e, the cylinder nut 16a, the screw 16b, and the electric motor 16c constitute a tension adjustment mechanism. Both electric motors 16
c and 16c are equipped with control switches for switching between forward and reverse rotation and controlling on/off. Further, at this time, a control means is provided so that both electric motors 16c, 16c operate in almost complete synchronization. This control means is based on common techniques.

The side and upper edges of the main body 1 of the apparatus are covered with cover members, and casters 17, 17, . . . are arranged in the lower part.

In this example, since the configuration is as described above,
As explained below, it reduces the effort of the caregiver,
It can be usefully used as a personal care device, for example, to eliminate the anxiety of the elderly or other care recipients and enable them to move.

In this device, the cared person is transported to the endless conveyor member 1.
This will be placed on the No. 1 net 11a. When placing the cared person on the bed 2, first operate the electric motor 15 by switching the control switch, and the wires 11a, 11 of the endless conveyor 11
Move a in the specified direction. Then the wire 11
The net 11b placed on the nets 11a and 11a is moved onto the bed 2, and when it just reaches the top of the bed 2, the control switch is turned off, the electric motor 15 is stopped, and the net 11b is lowered onto the bed 2. The tension wheels 11e, 11e are moved rearward by operating the control switch of the tension adjustment mechanism. After observing the lowering state of the net 11b, turn off the control switch and turn off the tension wheel 1.
Further backward movement of 1e and 11e is stopped. In this way, the net 11 of the wires 11a, 11a
b is lowered onto the bed 2 and brought into gentle contact with the bed 2. The cared person listed on the net 11b is placed on the bed 2 in this state.
It will be in a state of lying down. As described above, the care recipient can move and lie down on the bed 2 without leaving the net 11b. Pillows can be placed above the net 11b under the care recipient's head, and blankets and comforters can also be placed in the net 11b.
Needless to say, it is sufficient to cover the cared person on 1b.

When moving the care recipient while lying on the net 11b, when lowering the patient onto the bed 2 as described above, or when lowering the patient into the bathtub 3 as described below, the net 11b is The front and rear ends are supported by the shafts 12, 12, and the rollers 13, 13 at both ends of the shafts 12, 12 are respectively inserted into and supported by the guide rails 14, so that the net 11b can be held securely. , and there is no danger to the listed care recipients.

When the cared person is to take a bath, hot water at an appropriate temperature is supplied into the bathtub 3 in advance. This can be done by inserting a hose through the upper opening of the bathtub 3 and supplying hot water from an appropriate hot water supply facility.

After doing so, the caregiver first removes blankets, comforters, etc. from the sleeping cared person, removes clothing on the bed 2, and then operates the control switch of the tension adjustment mechanism to turn the electric motor 16c on the tension adjustment mechanism. The wheel 11e is rotationally driven so as to move to the left in FIG. 1, that is, in a direction to increase the tension. Tube nut 16 that connects the tension wheel 11e
screw 16b to move a in the above direction.
This means rotating the . In this way endless conveyor 1
After the net 11b of No. 1 is raised and its carrier side is in a substantially horizontal state, the control switch of the driving means is operated to drive the electric motor 15 to rotate in a predetermined direction, and the net 11b is moved to above the bathtub 3. let In some cases, the carer may be temporarily stopped on the tray 4 in front of it, and the cared person may undress there.

After moving the net 11b to the top of the bathtub 3 and stopping it as described above, the control switch of the tension adjustment mechanism is operated to rotate the electric motor 16c in the opposite direction to that when the tension is raised, and the net 11b is endless. The tension is loosened to the extent that the net 11b of the conveyor 11 descends into the bathtub 3 and contacts the lower surface. In this way, the hot water passes through net 11b and rises relatively, so the care recipient
You can take a bath while standing on 1b. In particular, since there is no need to change to a lift or the like to move to the bathtub 3, the labor of the caregiver is reduced, the cared person is safe, and there is no fear when changing or moving.

After relaxing in the hot water in the bathtub 3 and washing the body, operate the control switch to move the tension wheel 11e of the tension mechanism in the direction of increasing the tension, that is, to the left in FIG. The net 11b is raised above the bathtub 3. Thereafter, the cared person is showered with hot water to wash his/her body, and then the endless conveyor 11 is moved by operating the control switch of the drive means, and the net 11b is moved above the receiving tray 4 and temporarily stopped. In addition, washing the body with the shower mentioned above,
It may also be carried out on the tray 4. Of course, the shower means is operated by the caregiver. By the way, the above-mentioned shower can be sufficiently constructed by attaching a shower head to the end of a hose drawn from other suitable hot water supply equipment.

On the receiving tray 4, water from the cared person's body is subsequently removed using a towel or the like. At the same time, the blower 10 is operated to blow hot air from the nozzles n, n... of the blower pipe 9 connected to it,
Assist the care recipient in drying their body.

Thereafter, the person being cared for is dressed immediately at this position (or the person is moved to the bed 2 and then dressed).

After doing so, operate the control switch of the drive means to move the endless conveyor 11 and move the net 11b above the bed 2, then operate the control switch of the tension adjustment mechanism to loosen the tension, that is, move the tension wheel 11e. It is moved to the right in FIG. 1, and the net 11b of the endless conveyor 11 is lowered. In this way, the care recipient is placed in the first bed 2.
It will be in a lying position on top. Put a pillow under the cared person's head and cover them with a blanket or comforter to put them in a sleeping state.

Although the mattress 2a of the bed 2 can be replaced, it is appropriate to perform such work while the cared person is moving to another location, as described above. This work is completed by opening a door constructed on the side of the main body 1, pulling out the current pine mattress 2a, and inserting another pine mattress 2a.

Furthermore, after bathing, the hot water in the bathtub 3 is drained through the hose 6 by removing the stop valve s from the drain port 5. Similarly, the water accumulated on the saucer 4 is drained through the hose 8 by removing the stop valve s of the drain port 7.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, both horizontal movement and vertical movement of the cared person can be easily achieved by moving the endless conveyor member on which the cared person is placed. Therefore, the labor of the caregiver is greatly reduced, and the person being cared for is able to move without feeling anxious. Furthermore, since the endless conveyor member is wound around the upper and lower outer peripheries of the main body of the apparatus, the apparatus is extremely simple.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a schematic side view, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view. 1... Apparatus body, 2... Bed, 2a... Mattress, 2b... Frame, 3... Bathtub, 4... Saucer, 5, 7
...Drain port, 6, 8...Hose, 9...Blower pipe, 1
0... Blower, 11... Endless conveyor, 11a... Wire, 11b... Net, 11c, 11f... Wire car, 11d... Drive car, 11e... Tension car, 1
2... Shaft, 13... Roller, 14... Guide rail, 15, 16c... Electric motor, 16a... Cylinder nut, 16b... Screw, 17... Caster, s...
Stop valve, n... nozzle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a device main body in which at least a bed and a bathtub are arranged side by side, an endless conveyor member is provided, the carrier side of which passes above the bed and bathtub, and the return side of which passes below them; At least a part of the carrier side of the endless conveyor member is configured with a net member on which a care recipient can be placed, and the tension adjustment mechanism adjusts the tension on the endless conveyor member, wherein the net member is attached to the bed or A tension adjustment mechanism is attached so that when the bathtub is positioned above the bathtub or other desired position, the tension can be loosened as necessary to lower the elderly person sitting on top of the bathtub to the desired position such as the bed or bathtub. A personal care device for elderly people, etc., further comprising: a driving means for reciprocating the net member within a desired range on the endless conveyor member.