JP6273397B1 - Care chair - Google Patents

Abstract

A link mechanism that increases the opening angle of the back surface and the seating surface and sinks the back of the seating surface in conjunction with reclining, so that a seated person can maintain a comfortable posture without causing back slip. Provide a wheelchair with
The rear end of a seat frame 5 is pivotally connected to a back frame 4 and the lower end of the back frame is supported by a main body frame 1 via a connecting frame 14 so as to be movable up and down. A piston tip of a gas spring 10 having a mechanism for locking the piston back-and-forth movement is connected to the second rotation fulcrum 16 of the connection frame so that the lower end of the back frame can be fixedly supported by this lock mechanism.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a care chair, and more particularly, to a chair that can tilt a seat surface and an armrest at an appropriate angle during reclining and can easily transfer between a chair and a bed.

  With the recent aging of Japan, the number of nursing chair users is increasing rapidly. Nursing chairs are required to have various functions. Various devices have been devised to meet the needs, and many patent applications are submitted every year.

  The functions that are most commonly required for a care chair are a reclining function that tilts the backrest and a function that allows the occupant to easily transfer between the chair and the bed. In general, the reclining function of wheelchairs and other chairs includes a reclining system that tilts only the backrest without tilting the seat surface, and a tilt system that tilts the backrest while maintaining the angle between the seat surface and the backrest. There is.

  In the reclining method, there is a risk that the occupant's buttocks slip forward during the reclining operation, and it is easy to cause `` back slip '' where the back of the occupant's back and the backrest surface, and the clothes are turned up There is. On the other hand, in the tilt system, when the backrest is tilted, the legs are bent, so that the burden on the knees and waist increases, and the chair tends to fall back. Another problem is that full reclining is difficult.

  Therefore, at the time of reclining, in addition to increasing the backrest and the opening angle of the seat surface, a function of sinking the rear of the seat surface downward is necessary to prevent back slip. Conventionally, various means for preventing back slip at the time of reclining have been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

  Among them, Patent Document 1 discloses a “wheelchair having both a function of rotating the back portion and the seat portion integrally and a function of changing the inclination angle of the back portion with respect to the seat portion”. However, this system requires separate mechanisms and driving means (actuators) that realize each of the two independent functions, which complicates the structure of the lower part of the wheelchair, increases the cost, and increases the weight of the wheelchair. It is not preferable.

  Therefore, at the time of reclining, the operation that increases the backrest and the opening angle of the seating surface and the operation that sinks the rear of the seating surface downward is linked by a mechanical link mechanism, which enables reclining by one actuator Is desired. As an example using such a link mechanism, a “chair device capable of changing the sitting position” of Patent Document 3 can be cited.

  Although the details of the structure of the chair device are omitted, the link mechanism of Patent Document 3 cannot take a large stroke to sink the rear of the seat surface downward. For this reason, it is considered that it is difficult to completely solve the problem that when the inclination angle of the reclining is increased, the buttocks slide forward and cause back slip. Therefore, the chair device of Patent Document 3 is provided with means for selectively switching between a reclining position where the relative inclination angle between the back surface and the seating surface can be changed, and a tilt position where the inclination angle is fixed to a predetermined angle. .

  Patent Document 4 discloses a handrail for a reclining wheelchair that can open the side of the wheelchair following the reclining of the wheelchair. In the reclining mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 4, the lower end portion of the link frame 7 is pivotally connected to the vehicle body frame 2 (first pivot point), and the backrest frame 6 and the waist support frame 5 are pivotally connected. The waist receiving frame 5 is pivotally attached to the vehicle body frame 2 (fourth pivot point). The link frame 7 and the backrest frame 6 are pivotally connected (second pivot point). Here, the fourth pivot point is pivotably attached to the vehicle body frame 2 from the front of the waist receiving frame 5 to the rear of the center point in the rear direction. For this reason, when the backrest frame 6 is tilted rearward, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 of Patent Document 4, the front is inclined so as to be lifted up largely around the fourth pivot point, and the rear is almost sinked. Don't put it. For this reason, a "back shift" in which the back of the wheelchair occupant deviates from the surface of the backrest occurs, the wheelchair becomes unstable (the center of gravity becomes high and it is easy to fall), and the user feels anxiety about falling from the wheelchair. In Cited Document 4, the rear wheel is several times larger than the front wheel in order to prevent the wheelchair from falling due to the height of the center of gravity.

  Next, in order for the cared person to transfer easily between the bed and the chair, the side of the chair is in close contact with the side of the bed and the armrest does not get in the way when transferring, This is a function of removing or moving either one of the armrests. Cited Document 4 discloses a handrail that can open the side of the wheelchair. However, since the armrest disclosed in the cited document 4 has a four-joint structure, the armrest has a completely parallelogram structure, and the armrest surface and the seating surface must always be parallel. For this reason, when the backrest is lowered rearward, part of the weight of the arm must be received by the shoulder. Further, as shown in FIG. 7 of Patent Document 4, there is a problem that the armrest protrudes greatly from the backrest, and the protruding portion interferes with the caregiver.

  In Patent Document 5, a rear wheel of a pair of rotatable casters is disposed behind the main wheel of a wheelchair, and an attendant steps on a pedal. There is disclosed a nursing chair in which a main wheel is lifted and a wheelchair can be moved in a lateral direction. However, if it is not necessary for the occupant to travel on their own, there is no need to provide the main wheel, and a wheelchair or bed for nursing care that is composed of casters capable of rotating all four wheels is already widely used. Yes.

  As an example of means for moving an armrest of a wheelchair during transfer, Patent Document 6 discloses “an armrest of an armrest push-down wheelchair”. The armrest (armrest) has a rear end pivotably attached to a support shaft of the rear frame, an armrest pipe having a notch groove of a predetermined width formed along the entire length of the lower surface, and along the notch groove. A piece-shaped slide member that can slide back and forth in the pipe, and one end of which is pivotally attached to the lower end of the slide member, and the other end is rotated to a predetermined position of the main body frame. It is comprised from the connection member pivotally attached. By pushing down the connecting member, the front of the armrest pipe is bent downward. However, this armrest is limited in its own unique structure, and the back of the armrest pipe is still attached to the back frame, so there is a problem that it is not structured to move the entire armrest pipe is there.

JP 2002-102291 A JP 2004-160055 A Special Table 2007-190359 JP 2005-328980 A JP 2005-34189 A JP 2011-125478 A

In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide means for solving several technical problems as described below.
The first problem to be solved by the present invention is that the operation of increasing the opening angle between the back surface and the seating surface and the operation of tilting the seating surface are interlocked by a mechanical link mechanism during reclining. A recliner link mechanism that can perform an operation, and that can sufficiently increase the sinking stroke of the rear part of the seating surface and does not cause back slippage even if the tilt angle of the recline increases. It is to provide.

  A second problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a simple armrest-supporting link mechanism capable of tilting an armrest substantially parallel to the seating surface in conjunction with the tilting of the seating surface. A third problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an armrest moving mechanism that can move the armrest so that it does not interfere with a passenger's getting on and off in the armrest having the link mechanism as described above. There is. Furthermore, it is providing the backrest (back frame) which can relieve the back pain of the caregiver who is strong in a circle.

A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is a main body frame (1) having a pair of front and rear legs, a back frame (4) and a seating surface frame (which are tiltably supported by the main body frame). 5) and a nursing chair provided with a spring mechanism (10) for biasing the tilt of the back frame, and connecting the lower part of the main body frame (1) and the lower part of the back frame (4). A first rotation fulcrum (15) that rotatably connects one end of a pair of connection frames (14) and the main body frame (1), and a tip of a drive rod of the spring mechanism (10) The other end of the connecting frame (14), the lower part of the back frame (4), and the lower frame via a horizontal bar (45) connecting the pair of connecting frames. The tip of the drive mechanism of the spring mechanism (10) A second pivot point for connecting the parts pivotably (16), and said rear frame (4) for connecting to said second pivot point (16), and said seat surface frame (5) A third rotation fulcrum (17) that is pivotably connected and one end are fixed to the front wheel side of the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame (5), and the other end is A fourth fulcrum for pivotally connecting the other end of the mounting hardware attached to the front wheel side of the main body frame (1) lower than the height of the seat frame (5). It is a nursing chair that is characterized.

In the care chair, it is desirable that the spring mechanism is a gas spring. In the care chair according to the invention, it is preferable that the front wheel and the rear wheel are made of casters rotatably attached to the leg portions of the main body frame. Moreover, it is preferable that the said back frame is comprised so that the cared person's spine bending part may not contact | abut the structural material of the said back frame. Further, the spring mechanism urges the back frame to tilt forward by the internal pressure generated by pushing the piston rod into the gas chamber when the back frame is lowered rearward, and the piston rod is attached to the piston rod when the back frame is returned to the front. It is preferable that the back frame is tilted forward by the repulsive force of the fitted spring. Thereby, anyone can easily perform the reclining operation.

The present invention also provides a body frame (1) having a pair of front and rear legs, a back frame (4) and a seat frame (5) supported to be tiltable by the body frame (1), and the back surface. One of a pair of connecting frames (14) for connecting the gas spring (10) for biasing the tilt of the frame (4) and the lower rear leg portion of the main body frame (1) and the lower portion of the rear frame (4). A first rotation fulcrum (15) that rotatably connects the end portion and the main body frame (1), the other end of the connection frame (14), and a lower portion of the back frame (4) And a second rotation fulcrum (which is connected to the tip end portion of the driving rod of the gas spring (10) and rotatably connects to both ends of the horizontal rod (45) connecting the pair of connecting frames. 16) and the spine connected to the second rotation fulcrum (16) A third rotation fulcrum (17) for rotatably connecting the frame (4) and the seating surface frame (5), and one end of the front surface of the seating surface frame (5) on the front wheel side A fourth rotation fulcrum (18) that is fixedly attached to the portion and whose other end is rotatably connected to the other end of the mounting hardware attached to the front portion of the main body frame (1). In a care chair,
A main body arm (61), a support member (62) connected at one end of the main body arm (61), and a through-hole through which the main body arm (61) and the support member (62) are inserted are detachable. An armrest frame (6) including a lock pin (64) inserted through
The armrest frame (6) has an attachment rotation fulcrum (51) for rotatably attaching one end of the support member (62) and the back frame (4),
A hinge fulcrum (63) for rotatably connecting the other end of the support member (62) and the main body arm (61);
The other of the long piece (54) of the armrest support frame (7) in which the long piece (54) and the short piece (55) are configured to be bendable by a hinge fulcrum (53) at each one end. A connecting rotation fulcrum (52) for rotatably connecting the end of the main body arm (61) and the other end of the main body arm (61);
A fourth rotation fulcrum (18) that rotatably connects the other end of the short piece (55) and a front wheel end of the main body frame (1) is provided. A nursing chair.

  According to the above invention of the present application, when reclining, the operation of increasing the opening angle of the back surface and the seating surface and the operation of tilting the seating surface are linked with a relatively simple structure, and both operations are executed by one actuator. It has become possible to provide such a link mechanism. According to this link mechanism, the sinking stroke of the rear part of the seating surface during reclining can be sufficiently increased, so that even if the inclination angle of the reclining becomes large, backlash does not occur and an easy sitting posture is maintained. be able to.

  The reclining link mechanism described above can be applied as a reclining means for not only chairs and wheelchairs but also chairs for various purposes.

In addition, according to the invention of the present application, it is possible to provide a simple armrest link mechanism that can tilt the armrest substantially parallel to the seating surface in conjunction with the inclination of the seating surface during reclining. . According to this link mechanism, the inclination of the armrest can be changed to an appropriate state without any operation by the occupant during reclining.
Further, this armrest link mechanism can be applied not only to chairs and wheelchairs but also to reclining chairs for various purposes.

Furthermore, according to the invention of the present application, in the armrest having the link mechanism as described above,
When sitting on a chair, the armrest is held at a predetermined height, and when moving up and down, the armrest can be moved near or below the seat surface by a simple operation of the user. It has become possible not to get in the way of moving up and down or transferring between the chair and the bed.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of the examples. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a nursing chair according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where the backrest is upright. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair in a reclined state. The chair described below has casters attached to the legs. For this reason, in the following description, the care chair which is one embodiment of the present invention is referred to as a wheelchair.

  As shown in the figure, this wheelchair is composed of a main body frame 1 having a front wheel 2 and a rear wheel 3 mounted on its legs 1a, a back frame 4, a seat frame 5, an armrest frame 6, an armrest support frame 7, and a headrest frame. 8, a footrest frame 9, a gas spring 10, a side guard 11, a lock release lever 12, and the like. In the present specification, the front means the front direction of the occupant and the rear means the rear direction of the occupant.

  Of these, the headrest frame 8 supports the occupant's head during reclining, and is attached to the upper portion of the back frame 4 so as to be extendable and contractible. The footrest frame 9 supports the leg portion when sitting and reclining, and is attached to the upper part of the front end of the main body frame 1 so as to be tiltable.

  Further, the side guard 11 is for protecting the drive unit under the seat and preventing accidents, and is composed of covers attached to both side surfaces of the main body frame 1. Since the headrest frame 8, the footrest frame 9, the side guard 11, and the like are the same as those frequently used in conventional wheelchairs, details thereof are omitted.

  A seat pad 13 is mounted on the seat frame 5, and a backrest pad (not shown) is mounted on the back frame 4. The back frame 4 is configured so that a predetermined strength can be maintained without disposing a frame constituent material at the center thereof. This is in order to relieve back pain caused by the bending portion of the cared person whose spinal column is bent (strong circle) coming into contact with the frame component. Moreover, in the wheelchair of a present Example, the main wheel with a large diameter is not used, and the rear wheel is comprised by the caster similar to a front wheel. This is because it is assumed that the occupant does not plan to travel on his own, but moves with the help of a caregiver.

  In this embodiment, both the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3 are casters that are rotatably attached to the legs of the main body frame 1. This configuration has the following advantages. In other words, since both the front and rear wheels can be driven in any direction, the side surface of the wheelchair can be easily brought into close contact with the side surface of the bed in a narrow space, and there is no main wheel, so the cared person can get on and off the wheelchair. It is easy to transfer.

The lock lever 12 is for locking the operation of the piston of the gas spring 10 during reclining, and will be described in detail later.
In the present embodiment, the main body frame 1 has a structure in which the leg frame 1a and the upper frame 1b are joined. However, the main frame 1 does not have to be configured in this manner, and may be integrally formed. Hereinafter, the main body frame 1 will be referred to as a single body.

  The first characteristic structure of the present invention is a reclining support mechanism. This will be described below. FIGS. 3A and 3B are side views showing only the framework of the wheelchair according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3A shows an upright state and FIG. 3B shows a reclining state.

  As can be seen in these drawings, the lower end of the strip-shaped connecting frame 14 is rotatably supported by a first rotating fulcrum 15 provided at the lower part of the main body frame 1, and the upper end of the connecting frame 14 is Is provided with a second rotation fulcrum 16. At the second rotation fulcrum 16, the lower part of the back frame 4 and the tip of the piston rod 37 of the gas spring 10 are connected to the connection frame 14 via a horizontal flange 45 (see FIGS. 7 and 5). ).

A coil spring 47 is fitted on the outer periphery of the piston rod 37. When lowering the back frame 4 backward, the piston rod 37 pushes in the gas chamber 32, but the tilt of the back frame 4 forward is urged by the internal pressure of the gas chamber 32. Further, when the back frame 4 is returned to the front, the back frame 4 is tilted forward by the repulsive force of the coil spring 47 fitted on the piston rod 37 . This makes it easy for anyone to recline backrest.

  A third rotation fulcrum 17 is provided at a predetermined position above the second rotation fulcrum 16 of the back frame 4. Here, the rear end of the seat frame 5 is rotatably connected to the back frame 4. Has been. Further, a fourth pivot fulcrum 18 is provided on the mounting hardware 19 at the front end of the seat frame 5, and the seat frame 5 is supported on the main body frame 1 so as to be pivotable.

  In this specification, the pivot fulcrum and the hinge fulcrum described later are the connection points of two members, and one of the members is formed with a cylindrical protrusion serving as a support shaft and penetrates the other member. A hole or an insertion hole is formed and both are rotatably fitted. Either member may be provided with a support shaft.

  The first rotation fulcrum 15 and the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 described above are fixed fulcrums fixed to the main body frame 1, and the second rotation fulcrum 16 and the third rotation fulcrum 17 are fixed. It is not a movable fulcrum. However, the piston 37 of the gas spring 10 connected to the second rotation fulcrum 16 via a horizontal bar 45 (see FIG. 8) has a built-in lock mechanism that restrains the back and forth movement. When the is operating, the second rotation fulcrum is restrained from moving back and forth and up and down and becomes a semi-fixed fulcrum. When the lock mechanism is released, the second rotation fulcrum 16 becomes a movable fulcrum that can freely move up and down and front and rear.

  The above-described back frame 4 is supported by the second rotation fulcrum 16 and the third rotation fulcrum 17, and when the piston rod 37 of the gas spring 10 is locked, the lower end of the back frame 4 is moved up and down, and accordingly. The tilting of the back frame 4 is limited, and the back frame 4 tilts freely only when the lock mechanism is released.

  On the other hand, since the seat frame 5 is rotatably supported by the back frame 4 at the third rotation fulcrum 17, when the back frame 4 is inclined, the opening angle θ between the both is increased, and the third frame When the pivot fulcrum 17 is lowered, the rear end of the seating surface frame 5 is also lowered. However, since the front end of the seating surface frame 5 is fixed at the fourth rotation fulcrum 18, only the rear part of the seating surface sinks downward.

  In this way, by connecting the main body frame 1, the back frame 4, the seat frame 5, and the piston rod 37 of the gas spring 10 with the four pivots, the opening angle between the back and the seat is linked to the reclining. It is a feature of the present invention that the operation of increasing the height and the operation of sinking the back of the seat surface are performed simultaneously.

  Further, in the present invention, the back frame 4 is connected to the main body frame 1 via the connecting frame 14. Thereby, in the case of reclining, while the 2nd rotation fulcrum 16 moves ahead, it falls below. Therefore, the lower end of the back frame 4 is lowered downward, and accordingly, the third rotation fulcrum 17 is also lowered downward. Therefore, the effect that the stroke of the sinking below the rear end of the seating surface frame 5 becomes large is obtained.

  On the other hand, when the lower part of the back frame 4 is directly attached to the main body frame 1 (rotatably), the back frame 4 does not drop downward during reclining. Thus, it is one of the features of the present invention that the back stroke frame is connected to the main body using the connection frame 14 to increase the sinking stroke of the rear end of the seating surface during reclining.

  Another feature of the present invention is that a fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is provided at the front wheel end of the main body frame 1, and the rotation fulcrum 18 and the front end of the seat frame 5 are connected by a mounting hardware 19. There is.

  4 to 6 are views showing the structure of the reclining of the wheelchair according to the present embodiment only by the framework. Depending on the difference in the fourth pivot point 18, the depth at which the hip part sinks and the jumping height of the knee part greatly differ. FIG. 4A shows a state in which the back frame 4 is almost upright, and the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is provided behind the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame.

In FIG. 4B, the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is provided in front of the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame. In FIG. 4B, the connection between the seat frame 5 and the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is connected by an attachment metal 19.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the difference in the depth of sinking of the buttocks of the seat frame 5 and the jumping height of the knee when the back frame 5 is lowered slightly rearward. Comparing FIG. 5 (a) with FIG. 5 (b), FIG. 5 (b) (the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is on the front end side of the seat surface) has a greater depression of the buttocks, and the knee The jumping height of the part is small.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the difference in the depth of sinking of the buttocks of the seat frame 5 and the jumping height of the knee when the back frame 4 is fully reclined. When the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is provided on the rear side of the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame, the knee part jumps greatly with respect to the sinking of the buttocks part as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the fourth pivot fulcrum 18 is provided in front of the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame, the knee part jumps up compared to the depression of the buttocks part as shown in FIG. There are few. Further, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 and the seating surface are connected by the mounting hardware 18, so that the collar portion is located on the rear side by a distance corresponding to the length and the rotation angle of the mounting hardware 18. Therefore, the occupant can obtain a comfortable feeling of security.

  That is, when the fourth pivot point 18 is behind the center point of the seat frame 5 in the front-rear direction, the knee jumps more than the lower part of the buttocks and the wheelchair becomes unstable. For this reason, the occupant feels anxiety about the back slip and the fall of the chair. On the other hand, the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is in front of the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame 5 and the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 and the seat frame 5 have a certain length. If it connects with an attachment hardware, a buttocks will fall moderately and the jump of a knee will decrease with respect to the sinking of a buttocks. As a result, the occupant can fully feel a comfortable sense of security when reclining.

  As described above, it is preferable that the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is installed as far as possible on the front side. However, if the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is provided in front of the knee, the rear frame 4 is lowered backward when the back frame 4 is lowered. As the knee falls, the knee also falls, making it difficult to obtain a relaxing effect. Further, when the fourth pivot fulcrum 18 is provided at a position higher than the seat frame 5, it is difficult to obtain comfort and a relaxing effect because it moves forward while being lowered when the back frame 4 is lowered. In other words, the fourth rotation fulcrum 18 is as far as possible in front of the center point in the front-rear direction of the seat frame 5, rearward of the occupant's knee, and lower than the seat frame 5. It is preferable to provide in.

In the wheelchair of the present embodiment, in order to keep the tilting state of the reclining stable, the lock mechanism of the gas spring 10 is indispensable. Hereinafter, this locking mechanism will be described in some detail.
7A and 7B are explanatory views of the locking mechanism of the gas spring used in this embodiment, FIG. 7A is a side view, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder portion.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the cylinder 30 is partitioned into a gas chamber 32 at the back and an oil chamber 33 at the front by a free piston 31 that moves back and forth with fluid pressure. The oil chamber 33 is divided into a first oil chamber 33 a and a second oil chamber 33 b by a piston head 34 that slides back and forth inside the oil chamber 33.

An oil passage 35 and a one-way valve 36 for opening and closing the passage are provided inside the piston head 34. A cylindrical piston rod 37 for driving the piston head 34 is disposed at the center of the cylinder 30, and a push rod 38 is slidably inserted inside the piston rod 37. The back end of the push rod 38 has a function of opening the one-way valve 36, and the front end is a lock release pin 39. A sealing material 40 is disposed near the front end of the second oil chamber 33b to prevent oil from flowing out. A coil spring 47 is fitted on the outer periphery of the piston rod 37 with its end fixed to the end of the cylinder 30 and the like. The coil spring 47 expands and contracts as the piston rod 37 expands and contracts, thereby assisting the forward tilting of the back frame 4.

  Since the oil in the oil chamber is an incompressible fluid, there is no oil flow between the first oil chamber 33a and the second oil chamber 33b when the one-way valve 36 is closed, so that the piston head 34 moves back and forth. The piston rod 37 is locked. By pushing the lock release pin 39, the one-way valve 36 is opened, allowing oil to flow, and the piston rod 37 can freely move back and forth.

At the time of reclining, the piston rod 37 is pushed in and the internal pressure of the gas chamber 32 is increased. When this pushing operation is stopped, the one-way valve 36 is closed by the internal pressure of the gas chamber 32, and the piston rod 37 is locked at that position.
A means for releasing the lock will be described with reference to FIG. In front of the cylinder 30, an unlocking bracket 42 that is rotatably supported by a support shaft 41 is disposed. By pulling the lock release bracket 42 with the wire 43 and rotating it clockwise, the lock release pin 39 is pushed in and the one-way valve 36 is opened.

  The wire 43 is inserted into the protective tube 44 and connected to the lock release lever 12. In this embodiment, the lock release lever 12 is attached to the lower part of one side surface of the side guard 11, and is configured to be unlocked by the operation of a wheelchair attendant.

  In the wheelchair of the present embodiment, the piston rod 37 can be locked at an arbitrary angle of reclining, and the inclination angle of the reclining is kept constant unless the attendant releases the lock. A gas spring having such a function is generally commercially available.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the attachment structure of the tip of the piston rod of the gas spring in this embodiment.
A piston rod 37 protrudes from the center of the cylinder 30 of the gas spring. An unlocking blanket 42 is disposed in contact with the tip of the piston rod 37. As shown in FIG. 7B, this unlocking bracket 42 is
It is provided to pull the lock release pin 39 by pulling with the wire 43 and release the lock of the piston rod 37.

  As seen in FIG. 8, a pair of horizontal rods 45 are attached to the left and right sides of the unlocking bracket 42 so as to be orthogonal to the piston rod 37. The front ends of the left and right horizontal ribs 45 are cylindrical shafts, and the through holes of the back frame 5 and the through holes 46 of the connecting frame 14 are rotatably fitted to the shafts on both sides. A second rotation fulcrum 16 is formed.

When the second pivot fulcrum 16 moves back and forth during reclining, the unlocking bracket connected by the horizontal bar 45 also moves back and forth (rotates around the support shaft 41), and the piston rod 37 also moves accordingly. Move back and forth. On the contrary, if the piston rod 37 moves back and forth, the second rotation fulcrum 16 also moves back and forth.

The vertical frames on both the left and right sides of the back frame 4 are constrained to be inclined in conjunction with the horizontal frames, so that one piston rod 37 can move the two left and right pivots 16. Can be controlled.
That is, with the structure as shown in FIG. 8, it can be seen that the tip end of the piston rod 37 is rotatably connected to the left and right second rotation fulcrums 16 via the horizontal flange 45.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operating force required to return the back frame 4 and the reaction forces of the coil spring 47 and the gas spring 10. The horizontal axis is the angle of the back frame 4 (reclining angle), and the vertical axis is the operating force required to return the back frame 4 lowered to the front. If there is no repulsive force of the coil spring 47, an operating force of about 600 N is required to return from the full reclining state to the initial state. On the other hand, when the repulsive force of the coil spring 47 is used, the maximum is about 180 N, and anyone can easily return the back frame 4 to the initial state.

The second characteristic configuration of the present invention is an armrest support mechanism. This will be described below. FIGS. 10A and 10B are side views showing an armrest skeleton in the wheelchair of the present embodiment. FIG. 10A shows an upright state and FIG. 10B shows a reclining state.
This armrest comprises an armrest frame 6 and an armrest support frame 7. The armrest frame 6 is rotatably supported at its rear end (end on the rear side in the traveling direction) by an attachment rotation fulcrum 51 (A) provided on the back frame 4. The front end of the armrest frame 6 is rotatably supported by a connecting rotation fulcrum 52 (B) provided at the upper end of the armrest support frame 7.

  On the other hand, the armrest support frame 7 is configured to be bendable by a hinge joint provided near or below the center in the longitudinal direction, and the lower end of the armrest support frame 7 is rotatably supported near the front end of the seat frame 5. ing. In this embodiment, the armrest support frame 7 is divided into an upper long piece 54 and a lower short piece 55, both of which are foldably connected by a hinge fulcrum 53 (C).

  The lower end of the short piece 55 is rotatably supported by a fourth rotation fulcrum 18 provided at the lower part of the mounting hardware 19 near the front end of the seat frame 5. When the external force for bending the armrest support frame 7 is not applied, the short piece 55 is held so as to hardly rotate at a constant angle with respect to the horizontal, and only the long piece 54 is at the hinge fulcrum 53 (C). Rotate and tilt.

  In such a configuration, the back frame 4, the seat surface claim 5, the armrest frame 6 and the armrest support frame 7 are used as arms, and their mutual rotation fulcrums (indicated by symbols AB, C and D). A quadrilateral link mechanism with nodes will be formed.

  The present invention is characterized in that each of the two opposite sides (piece AB and piece CD and piece AD and piece BC) of the quadrilateral with the four nodes of the link mechanism as apexes has substantially the same length. And Thereby, according to the principle of the parallelogram, no matter how the reclining angle (the opening angle between the piece AB and the piece AD) changes, the effect that the seat surface claim 5 and the armrest frame 6 become substantially parallel is obtained. . That is, the tilt of the armrest can be changed to an appropriate state without performing any operation by the occupant during reclining. This is the second point of the present invention.

  The third of the characteristic configurations of the present invention relates to an armrest moving mechanism that changes the position of the armrest so that it does not obstruct the wheelchair user when getting on or off. For this purpose, in the wheelchair according to the present invention, the armrest frame 6 and the armrest support frame 7 are each divided into two parts so as to be foldable by hinge joints, and the attachment points of both are made rotatable. This moving mechanism will be described below.

  11A and 11B are perspective views showing the structure of the armrest frame in the present embodiment, in which FIG. 11A shows an extended state and FIG. 11B shows a bent state. The armrest frame 6 includes a main body arm 61 and a support member 62. A hinge fulcrum 63 is provided near the longitudinal center of the main body arm 61, and a lock pin 64 and a through hole (not shown) through which the lock pin 64 is inserted are provided at the rear end thereof. The front end is connected to the armrest support frame 7.

  Further, one end (rear end) of the support member 62 is rotatably fixed by an armrest mounting fulcrum 51 provided on the back frame 4, and the other end (front end) is a hinge fulcrum 63. The arm 61 is rotatably connected.

  At the time of normal sitting, as shown in FIG. 11A, the lock pin 64 is inserted into an insertion hole (not shown) provided near the base of the support member 62, and the main body arm 61 and the support member 62 are inserted. Are in parallel with each other, the entire armrest frame 6 is held at a predetermined height.

  At the time of getting on and off, as shown in FIG. 11B, the lock pin 64 is removed, and the front end side of the support member 62 is bent 90 ° downward with the armrest attachment fulcrum 51 as an axis. Thereby, the rear end of the main body arm 61 is lowered to the vicinity of the height of the seating surface frame.

  FIGS. 12A and 12B are perspective views showing the structure of the armrest support frame in the present embodiment. FIG. 12A shows an extended state, and FIG. 12B shows a bent state. The armrest support frame 7 includes a long piece 54 and a short piece 55, which are joined to each other at a hinge fulcrum 53 so that they can be bent.

  The upper end of the long piece 54 is rotatably supported by a connecting rotation fulcrum 52 at the front end of the main body arm 61 of the armrest frame 6, and the lower end of the short piece 55 is the fourth rotation of the upper part of the main body frame 1. A fulcrum is rotatably supported. As shown in FIG. 12B, when the hinge joint is bent, the front end of the main body arm 61 is lowered to the vicinity of the main body frame 1.

  In the armrest support frame of the present embodiment, the opening angle between the long piece 54 and the short piece 55 is limited so as not to be about 120 ° or more. However, the long piece 54 and the short piece 55 are A configuration that is linear (open angle 180 °) may be used.

  FIGS. 13A and 13B are perspective views showing how the armrests are attached in the present embodiment. FIG. 13A shows a state before the armrests are moved, and FIG. 13B shows a state after the movements. As shown in FIG. 13A, in the state before the armrest is moved (normal seating), the rear end of the main body arm 61 is fixed near the back frame by the lock pin 64, and the support member 62 is moved forward. It is overhanging.

  The front end of the main body arm 61 is supported by an upright armrest support frame 7 by extending a hinge joint 53. Thereby, the main body arm 61 is held substantially horizontally at a predetermined height around the elbow of the occupant.

  As shown in FIG. 13B, after the armrest is moved (when getting on or off), the lock pin 64 is pulled out, the front end of the support member 62 hangs down, and the rear end of the main body arm 61 is lowered. To descend. The armrest support frame 7 is bent by the hinge joint 53, and the front end of the main body arm 61 is also lowered to the vicinity of the seating surface frame 5 and is held almost horizontally at this position.

  That is, by pulling out the lock pin 64 and lightly pushing the main body arm 61, the armrest can be moved to a position that does not obstruct getting on and off. Conversely, when the armrest is returned, the main body arm 61 is lightly lifted and the lock pin 64 is inserted, so that the main body arm 61 is fixed to the original position.

  In this embodiment, the lock pin and the corresponding through hole and insertion hole are used for the lock mechanism of the main body arm, but it is not necessary to limit the lock mechanism to this method. Further, although the lock pin insertion hole is provided near the base of the support member 62, it may be provided on the side surface of the back frame 4.

  As described above, the reclining support mechanism, armrest support mechanism, and armrest moving mechanism of the present invention can be widely applied not only to wheelchairs but also to reclining chairs for various uses.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance in the state in which the backrest of the care chair which is an Example of this invention stood upright. It is a perspective view of the state which reclined the wheelchair of a present Example. It is a side view which shows the framework of the wheelchair of a present Example. It is the figure which showed the reclining structure of the wheelchair of a present Example only with the skeleton. It is the figure which showed the difference in the depth which the heel part of the seat surface frame 5 sinks, and the jumping height of a knee part when the back frame 5 is lowered a little back. It is the figure which showed the difference in the depth which the heel part of the seat surface frame 5 sinks, and the jumping height of a knee part when the back frame 4 is fully reclined. It is explanatory drawing of the locking mechanism of the gas spring used in the present Example. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment structure of the front-end | tip of the piston rod of the gas spring in a present Example. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between an operation force required for returning the back frame 4 and reaction forces of the coil spring 47 and the gas spring 10. It is a side view which shows the framework of the armrest in the wheelchair of a present Example. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an armrest frame in a present Example. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an armrest support frame in a present Example. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment condition of an armrest in a present Example.

1: body frame, 1a: leg frame, 1b: upper frame, 2: front wheel, 3: rear wheel, 4: back frame, 5 seat frame, 6: armrest frame, 7: armrest support frame, 8: headrest frame , 9: footrest frame, 10: gas spring, 11: side guard, 12: lock release lever, 13: seat pad, 14: connecting frame, 15: first pivot point, 16: second pivot point , 17: third rotation fulcrum, 18: fourth rotation fulcrum, 19: mounting hardware 30: cylinder, 31: free piston, 32: gas chamber, 33: oil chamber, 33a: first oil chamber, 33b : Second oil chamber, 34: piston head, 35: oil flow path, 36: one-way valve, 37: piston rod, 38: push rod, 39: lock release pin, 40: seal material, 41: support shaft, 42: unlocking bracket, 43: wire, 44: protective tube, 45: lying down, 46: through hole 51: mounting rotation fulcrum, 52: coupling rotation fulcrum, 53: hinge fulcrum, 54: Long piece, 55: Short piece,
61: body arm, 62: support member, 63: hinge fulcrum, 64: lock pin

Claims (4)

A nursing chair comprising a main body frame having a pair of front and rear legs, a rear frame and a seat frame supported to be tiltable by the main body frame, and a spring mechanism for biasing the tilt of the rear frame. There,
One end of a pair of connecting frames that connect the lower part of the main body frame and the lower part of the back frame, and a first rotation fulcrum that rotatably connects the main body frame;
The other end of the connection frame, the lower part of the back frame, and the spring are connected to each other at a front end portion and an intermediate portion of the drive rod of the spring mechanism, and are connected to each other between the pair of connection frames. A second rotation fulcrum that rotatably connects the tip of the drive rod of the mechanism ;
A third pivot that pivotally connects the back frame coupled to the second pivot and the seat frame;
One end is fixed to the front wheel side of the seat frame in the front-rear direction and the rear of the seater's knee, and the other end is higher than the height of the seat frame. A nursing chair comprising: a fourth rotation fulcrum that rotatably connects the other end of the mounting hardware attached to the front wheel side of the lower body frame.   The care chair according to claim 1, wherein a caster is rotatably attached to each of the leg portions.   The care chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the back frame is configured such that a bent portion of a cared person does not contact a constituent material of the back frame. When the back frame is lowered to the rear, the back frame is biased forward by an internal pressure due to the piston rod being pushed into the gas chamber. When the back frame is returned to the front, the spring mechanism is external to the piston rod. The nursing chair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a tilting of the rear frame forward is assisted by a repulsive force of the fitted spring .

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