JP3980723B2 - Electric wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair, and more particularly to a battery unit mounting structure.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, such an electric wheelchair is already known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-313555, and in this case, a battery unit is housed in a cloth bag-like box provided on the lower surface of a cloth seat. .
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional electric wheelchair, when the battery unit is attached / detached for charging or the like, it is necessary to remove the bag-like box from the seat, and the bag-like box is attached / detached while sitting on the seat. This makes it difficult to attach and detach the battery unit. In addition, it is desirable that the electric wheelchair be used outdoors to support the active behavior of persons with disabilities. Protection and waterproofing are required.
[0004]
Furthermore, even if the remaining amount indicator is provided in the battery unit, the person sitting on the seat cannot visually recognize the remaining amount indicator of the battery unit, which is inconvenient.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, facilitates the attachment / detachment operation of the battery unit, makes the protection of the battery unit more reliable during outdoor use, and allows a person sitting on the seat to It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric wheelchair that can easily check the remaining battery level.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is directed to a vehicle body frame provided with a seat, a pair of rear wheels supported on the vehicle body frame and disposed on the left and right sides of the seat, and both rear wheels. An electric wheelchair comprising: an electric motor that supplies power to the battery; and a battery unit that supplies electric power to the electric motor. The battery unit includes a battery case in which a battery assembly is built, and a handle that is connected to the battery case. and a section, to a lower portion of the seat, the battery housing chamber that allowed to removably housed in a posture inclined the bar Tteriyunitto rearwardly downwards is, permit insertion and removal of the battery unit from the front side of the seat provided by opening the front side in order to, the handle portion, with formed into a rod of circular cross section, yield portion of said mounting hand portion of the battery housing chamber of the battery unit Than the seat in a state protrudes forward, have been cut out the part of the projecting portions, in that the notch portion, the mounting surface which enables viewing of a person sitting on the seat is formed, the mounting surface In addition, a remaining amount indicator for displaying the remaining amount of the battery is embedded.
[0007]
According to such a configuration, since the battery storage chamber is provided in the lower portion of the seat, the battery storage chamber is disposed at a high position relatively far from the traveling road surface, and mud that is splashed up even when traveling outdoors. Further, the battery unit can be more reliably protected from the stepping stone or the protrusion on the road. In addition, since the battery unit can be inserted into and removed from the battery storage chamber from the front side of the seat, the battery unit can be easily inserted and removed, and the handle of the battery unit stored in the battery storage chamber can be easily removed. The portion is in front of the seat, and the handle portion is provided with a remaining amount indicator, so that a person sitting on the seat can easily see the remaining amount of the battery unit. Moreover, since the handle part is formed in a bar shape having a circular cross section, it can be easily handled by a disabled person using an electric wheelchair.
[0008]
The invention of claim 2, in addition to the arrangement of claim 1, prior Symbol handrail part is provided on the body frame, the body frame, is the front side contiguous portion of該手sliding portion, the front side than the seat The battery storage chamber is disposed at a position biased to the left and right sides of the lower portion of the seat.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on one embodiment of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0010]
1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric wheelchair, FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along the arrow 2 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view taken along the arrow 3 in FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the battery unit, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.
[0011]
1 to 3, a body frame B of this electric wheelchair includes an upper frame 12 and a pair of left and right lower frames 13 and 13, and a seat 11 is supported by the upper frame 12, The pair of rear wheels W _R and W _R arranged on the left and right sides of the seat 11 and the pair of left and right front wheels W _F and W _F arranged in front of the rear wheels W _R and W _R are below. Supported by frames 13 and 13 respectively.
[0012]
The upper frame 12 has a handrail portion 14 a at the top and is formed in an endless manner, and is disposed on the left and right sides of the seat 11 and on the front and back of the seat portion 11 a in the seat 11. Cross members 15, 16 installed between the side frames 14, 14 below the seat portion 11 a to support the two spaced locations, and the back portion 11 b of the seat 11 to support the back portion 11 b The cross member 17 is constructed between the side frames 14 and 14.
[0013]
The lower frame 13 extends in the front-rear direction at a position below the upper frame 12 and connects the front wheel support portion 18, the rear wheel support portion 19, and the front and rear wheel support portions 18, 19. In addition, it consists of a pair of lower pipe-shaped frame members 20 and 21, and an intermediate portion of both frame members 20 and 21 is formed by bending downward.
[0014]
The front end of the front wheel support 18 is integrally provided with a support cylinder 18a that is slightly inclined rearward as it goes upward, and the support rod 22 that passes through the support cylinder 18a can adjust its height position. Is fixedly supported by the support cylinder 18a. Thus, a step 23 is provided between the lower ends of the support rods 22 and 22 supported by the front support cylinders 18a and 18a in the left and right lower frames 13 and 13, respectively. A cross member 24 is installed between the rear portions of the front wheel support portions 18 and 18.
[0015]
The front wheel W _F is caster, is supported by a lower end of the support member 26 having a caster shaft 25 extending vertically to the upper end, the caster shaft 25, bearing housing 27 secured to the front-rear direction intermediate portion of the front wheel support 18 Is supported rotatably.
[0016]
The rear wheel W _R includes a hub 28 which is formed in a ring shape, and a plurality of spokes 29 ... extending radially from a plurality of locations spaced in the circumferential direction of the hub 28, provided at their spokes 29 ... outer ends of And a tire 31 attached to the rim 30.
[0017]
The inner ends of the hubs 28 in the rear wheels W _R are covered with covers 33, respectively, and the rear wheels W _R are rotatably supported on the covers 33 and the rear wheel support portion 19 of the lower frame 13. Are fixedly supported, and electric motors 35 having rotational axes at positions deviated from the axes of the axles 34 are fastened to the cover 33.
[0018]
On the other hand, hand rims 36, 36 are arranged on the outer sides of the rear wheels W _R , W _R , and a plurality of spokes 38, extending radially from hand rim hubs 37, 37 coaxial with the axles 34,. The outer ends of 38... Are connected to the hand rims 36, 36.
[0019]
Within the cover 33..., The input torque is detected between the hand rim hub 36 and the hub 28 by causing a relative angular deviation between the hand rim hub 36 and the hub 28 according to the input torque input to the hand rim 36. Torque detection means (not shown) is provided, and a speed reduction mechanism (not shown) is provided between the output shaft of the electric motor 35 and the hub 28 in the cover 33.
[0020]
A battery storage chamber 41 in which a battery unit 40 for supplying electric power to both the electric motors 35 and 35 is detachably stored is provided below the seat portion 11a of the seat 11, and the detection value of the torque detection means is provided. Accordingly, a control unit 42 for controlling the operation of the electric motors 35 is accommodated.
[0021]
In FIG. 4, the battery unit 40 includes a battery case 44 in which a battery assembly 43 composed of a plurality of rechargeable batteries such as Ni—Cd batteries is built, and a substantially U-shape that is connected to the battery case 44. The battery case 44 has a width W that is, for example, about 1/2 to 1/3 of the width of the seat 11 and is formed in a flat box shape that is long in the front-rear direction.
[0022]
On the other hand, the battery storage chamber 41 is provided in a lower part of the seat portion 11a in the seat 11 at a position biased to the left side, for example, toward the front, and the battery unit 40 in a posture in which the handle portion 45 is disposed on the front side. The front side of the seat 11 is opened so that the seat 11 can be inserted and removed from the front side. Moreover, when the battery unit 40 is stored in the battery storage chamber 41, the handle portion 45 of the battery unit 40 projects forward from the seat 11, and the handle portion 45 has the battery assembly 43. A remaining amount indicator 46 for displaying the remaining battery amount is provided. As apparent from FIGS. 1 and 3, the battery unit 40 is inserted into and removed from the battery storage chamber 41 in a posture in which the battery unit 40 is inclined downward. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, a portion of the vehicle body frame B that continues to the front side of the handrail portion 14 a protrudes to the front side of the seat 11.
[0023]
Referring also to FIG. 5, the handle portion 45 is formed in a bar shape having a circular cross section so that it can be easily handled by a disabled person using an electric wheelchair . , 2, the battery unit 40 protrudes forward from the seat 11 in the storage state in the battery storage chamber 41, and a central portion of the protruding portion is cut out , and a flat mounting surface 45 a is formed in the cutout portion . A remaining amount indicator 46 is embedded in the mounting surface 45a so as to be flush with the mounting surface 45a. Thus, the angle α between the mounting surface 45a, that is, the surface of the remaining amount indicator 46 and the upper surface of the battery case 44 stored in the battery storage chamber 41 is set in a range of −90 ° <α <+ 90 °. Setting the angle α in this manner makes it easy for a person sitting on the seat 11 to visually recognize the remaining amount indicator 46.
[0024]
Thus, the remaining amount indicator 46 has, for example, a display unit 46a in which a plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged, and a push button 46b. Is displayed.
[0025]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Since the battery storage chamber 41 is provided at the lower portion of the seat 11, the battery storage chamber 41 is disposed at a high position relatively away from the traveling road surface. In addition, the battery unit 40 can be more reliably protected from mud, stepping stones, or projections on the road.
[0026]
Further, since the battery unit 40 can be inserted into and removed from the battery storage chamber 41 from the front side of the seat 11, the battery unit 40 can be easily inserted and removed when the battery unit 40 is charged. Further, the handle portion 45 of the battery unit 40 in the state of being stored in the battery storage chamber 41 is in front of the seat 11, and the remaining amount indicator 46 is provided on the handle portion 45, so that the user sits on the seat 11. A person can easily visually recognize the remaining amount of the battery unit 40. Moreover, the width W of the battery unit 40 is, for example, about 1/2 to 1/3 of the width of the seat 11, and according to this embodiment, the battery unit 40 is provided at the lower part of the seat 11 at a position biased to the left side toward the front. Since the battery is stored in the battery storage chamber 41, the remaining amount indicator 46 can be easily visually recognized only by allowing the person sitting on the seat 11 to bring the left foot toward the right foot. Insertion / removal work from the battery storage chamber 41 can be easily performed.
[0027]
In the above embodiment, the battery storage chamber 41 is provided at the lower part of the seat 11 at a position biased to the left side toward the front. However, even if the battery storage chamber 41 is provided at the lower part of the seat 11 at a position biased to the right side. Alternatively, a battery storage chamber 41 may be provided at the lower portion of the seat 11 at the center in the width direction of the seat 11. In this case, the battery unit 40 is inserted and removed between both feet of the person sitting on the seat 11. The remaining amount indicator 46 can be easily visually recognized.
[0028]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims. Is possible.
[0029]
For example, in the above embodiment has been described electric wheelchair performing power assist by the electric motor 35, 35, the present invention is, the rear wheel W _R only by the power of the electric motor, the electric wheelchair which is adapted to drive the W _R Is also applicable.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the battery storage chamber is disposed at a high position relatively away from the traveling road surface, and the battery unit is more reliably removed from mud, stepping stones, or projections on the road when traveling outdoors. In addition to protecting the battery unit, the battery unit can be easily inserted and removed, and a person sitting on the seat can easily check the remaining amount of the battery unit. Moreover, since the handle part is formed in a bar shape having a circular cross section, it can be easily handled by a disabled person using an electric wheelchair.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric wheelchair.
FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along arrow 2 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view taken along arrow 3 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery unit.
5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Seat 14a ... Handrail part 35 ... Electric motor 40 ... Battery unit 41 ... Battery storage chamber 44 ... Battery case 45 ... Handle part 45a ... Mounting surface 46 ... Remaining indicator B ... Body fountain W _R ... Rear wheel

Claims (2)

A body frame (B) provided with a seat (11), a pair of rear wheels (W _R ) supported on the body frame (B) and disposed on the left and right sides of the seat (11), In an electric wheelchair comprising an electric motor (35) for supplying power to the wheel (W _R ) and a battery unit (40) for supplying electric power to the electric motor (35),
The battery unit (40) includes a battery case (44) in which a battery assembly (43) is built, and a handle portion (45) connected to the battery case (44).
At the bottom of the seat (11), said bar Tteriyunitto (40) allowed to removably housed in a tilted position rearwardly downwards the battery storage chamber (41), the battery unit from the front side of the seat (11) (40) is provided with the front side open to allow insertion and removal,
The handle portion (45) is formed in a rod shape having a circular cross section , and the seat portion is in a state in which a part of the handle portion (45) is stored in the battery storage chamber (41) of the battery unit (40). Projecting forward from (11), a part of the projecting portion is notched, and a mounting surface (45a) is formed in the notched portion to allow a person sitting on the seat (11) to see. And
As the mounting surface (45a), the remaining amount display meter to display the remaining battery capacity (46) is an electric car chair child, characterized in that it is embedded. The vehicle body frame (B) is provided with a handrail portion (14a), and a portion of the vehicle body frame (B) connected to the front side of the handrail portion (14a) protrudes forward of the seat (11). , the battery storage chamber (41), characterized in that it is disposed at a position offset in the one lateral side in the lower portion of the seat (11), electric wheelchair according to claim 1.

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