JPH1119133A - Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheelchair superior in an operability and safety without spontaneous rotation even when hands are taken-off during rotation by providing freely horizontally rotatable handles between armrest positions extending in a front and rear direction at the sides of a cared person sitting in a seat and front handrail positions crossing the front part of the cared person. SOLUTION: When handrail lock pins 11 are inserted to inserting part 1Af sides against the energizing force of energizing springs 12, lock is released as against mainbody frames (vertical pipes 1Bb). Then, the handrails 9 are pulled-up a little, the inserting parts 1Af are drawn-out from the vertical pipes 1Bb and, after that, the handrails 9 are opened to a wheelchair sides by horizontal rotation. When the handrails 9 are pulled-up further in the lock releasing state of the handrail lock pins 11, the inserting parts 1Aa arranged in rear shafts 1Ab are also pulled-out from the vertical pipes 1Bb. Therefore, the whole handrails 9 are removed from the wheelchair. Thus, the handrails 9 are opened or removed so that the cared person can easily execute getting on/off between a bed and the wheelchair.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheelchair, and more particularly to a wheelchair having a movable handle used for a front handrail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wheelchair generally comprises a frame 101 constituting a frame of a wheelchair, as shown in the prior art in FIGS.
And a wheel 102, a seat 103, and a backrest 104 provided on the frame 101.

A wheelchair shown in FIG. 5 has a pair of fixed armrests 10 on the left and right sides of a care recipient (not shown) sitting on a seat 103.
5 are provided. A front handrail 150 is attached to the fixed armrest 105 so as to cross the front of the care recipient sitting on the seat 103. This front handrail 150
It must be displaceable so that the care recipient does not get in the way when sitting or getting off the wheelchair. Therefore, in the wheelchair shown in FIG. 5, the front handrail 150 is provided so as to be vertically rotatable between the use position and the retracted position as shown by the arrow C.

[0006] In the wheelchair shown in FIG. 6, an armrest and a front handrail form a handrail 109 integrally formed in an L shape. The handrail 109 is provided so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction between a use position and a retracted position, as indicated by an arrow D, with the base end of the armrest as a fulcrum.

[0005]

In the prior art shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the front handrail 150 and the handrail 109 rotate in the vertical direction, that is, in the space on the left and right sides of the wheelchair. Has the following problems.

First, when the front handrail 150 and the handrail 109 are rotated, they may hit a nearby object such as a door, and may not be able to rotate on the way or may damage an object. In addition, there is a risk of hitting a person.

When the front handrail 150 or handrail 109 is rotated from the use position to the retracted position, or conversely, from the retracted position to the use position, the front handrail 15
0, since the operation of lifting the handrail 109 is required, an extra force is required accordingly. On the other hand, the raised front handrail 15
0, in the process of rotating the handrail 109 downward, the weight of the front handrail 150 and the handrail 109 becomes a rotational force, and the force for rotating the front handrail 150 and the handrail 109 decreases. That is, the required force varies depending on the rotation process, and the operability is poor.

Further, when the front handrail 150 and the handrail 109 are lifted, or during the lifting, the front handrail 15
0, release hand from handrail 109, front handrail 150, handrail 10
9 is dangerous because it naturally rotates downward by its own weight.

The present invention has been made to solve the problem of the conventional example.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the wheelchair from coming out to the side of the wheelchair when rotating the handle of the front handrail and hitting an object or a person. Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair which is excellent in safety and does not rotate naturally even if the hand is released during rotation, and is excellent in safety.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the most important feature of the present invention is that an armrest position extending in the front-rear direction beside a care recipient sitting on a seat, The present invention is characterized in that a handle is provided so as to be horizontally rotatable between a front handrail position crossing the front.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the wheelchair of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, a wheelchair used for bathing, showers, toilets, etc. will be described as an example. This wheelchair has a frame 1 and this frame 1
, A pair of left and right fixed armrests 5, and a pair of left and right handles 6.

The handle 6 serves both as an armrest and a front handrail, and is provided so as to be horizontally rotatable between an armrest position X and a front handrail position Y as shown by an arrow A.
The armrest position X is a position extending in the front-rear direction beside a care-requirer (not shown) sitting on the seat 3. The front handrail position Y is a position crossing the front of the care recipient sitting on the seat 3.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle 6 has a substantially L-shape comprising a horizontal shaft portion 7A and a vertical shaft portion 7B.
The U-shaped pipe 7 is used as a skeleton. The horizontal shaft portion 7A is a portion to be gripped by the care recipient, and a friction material 8 such as rubber or soft resin is provided on the outer periphery so that the hand does not slip.

On the other hand, a support pipe 1Ae is arranged on the frame 1 at a position in front of the fixed armrest 5 so as to extend vertically. The handle 6 has a vertical shaft portion 7B and a support pipe 1A.
e, the vertical shaft portion 7B is rotated while sliding in the support pipe 9, and the horizontal shaft portion 7B of the handle 6 is selectively positioned so as to be in one of the armrest position X and the front handrail position Y. It is supposed to be.

A handrail 9 is composed of the fixed armrest 5, the handle 6, and the armrest frame 1A supporting the fixed armrest 5 and the handle 6. Note that a portion of the frame 1 other than the armrest frame 1A is referred to as a main body frame 1B. The handrail 9 is detachably attached to the main body frame 1B, and is locked to the main body frame 1B by a handrail lock mechanism. The handrail 9 can be opened by horizontal rotation to the side of the wheelchair as shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, it is configured to be removable from the wheelchair.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the armrest frame 1A has an insertion portion 1Aa extending vertically and a rear shaft 1Ab which fixes the insertion portion 1Aa and extends vertically.
And a horizontal shaft 1A extending horizontally from the upper end of the rear shaft 1Ab.
c, a connecting shaft 1Ad that extends downward from the tip of the horizontal shaft 1Ac, a support pipe 1Ae fixed to the tip of the connecting shaft 1Ad, and an insertion portion that is fixed to the support pipe 1Ae and extends vertically downward. 1Af.

An insertion portion 1Aa provided on the rear shaft 1Ab;
The insertion portion 1Af fixed to the support pipe 1Ae is inserted into the vertical pipe portions 1Ba and 1Bb disposed in front and rear of the main body frame 1B, respectively.

Insertion section 1A projecting from support pipe 1Ae
The length L1 of the insertion portion 1Aa protruding from the rear shaft 1Ab
Is set to be shorter than the length L2. Therefore, when the handrail 9 unlocked to the main body frame 1B is lifted, first, the insertion portion 1A of the support pipe 1Ae is inserted.
f is pulled out from the vertical pipe 1Bb of the main body frame 1B. Next, when the handrail 9 is further raised,
The insertion portion 1Aa of the rear shaft 1Ab is pulled out of the vertical pipe 1Ba of the main body frame 1B.

When the insertion portion 1Af of the support pipe 1Ae is pulled out of the main frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Bb), the insertion portion 1Aa of the rear shaft 1Ab is inserted into the main frame 1B.
(Vertical pipe 1Ba). Therefore, at this stage, the handrail 9 can be rotated horizontally with the insertion portion 1Aa of the rear shaft 1Ab as the axis (see FIG. 3).

Further, by pulling out the insertion portion 1Aa of the rear shaft 1Ab from the main frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Ba), the handrail 9 can be removed from the wheelchair (see FIG. 4).

In this embodiment, a handrail lock mechanism for locking the handrail 9 to the main frame 1B is configured as follows. That is, the handrail lock mechanism is a hole 10 provided through the vertical pipe 1Bb of the main body frame 1B and the insertion portion 1Af (the hole of the vertical pipe 1Bb is not shown).
A handrail lock pin 11 provided in the hole 10 so as to be able to protrude and retract, and a biasing spring 12 fixed to the insertion portion 1Af and the handrail lock pin 11 to bias the handrail lock pin 11 outward. Have been.

When the handrail lock pin 11 is urged outward by the urging spring 12, the insertion portion 1Af is locked to the main body frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Bb). That is, the handrail 9 is locked to the main body frame 1B.

When the handrail lock pin 11 is pushed into the insertion portion 1Af against the urging force of the urging spring 12, the insertion portion 1Af
Of the main frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Bb) is released.

A handle lock mechanism for locking the handle 6 at one of the armrest position X and the front handrail position Y is provided.
This embodiment is configured as follows. That is,
The handle lock mechanism includes a support pipe 1Ae and a handle 6
And two holes 13 and 14 provided at two places corresponding to the armrest position X and the front handrail position Y, and one of the two holes 13 and 14 provided so as to be able to selectively emerge. It has a handle lock pin 15 and a biasing spring 16 fixed in the handle 6 to bias the handle lock pin 15 outward.

When the handle lock pin 15 is pushed into the insertion portion 1Af against the urging force of the urging spring 16, the lock of the handle 6 with respect to the support pipe 1Ae is released. When the handle 6 is rotated horizontally in this unlocked state, and reaches the armrest position X (the position where the handle lock pin 15 is located in the hole 13) or the front handrail position Y (the position where the handle lock pin 15 is located in the hole 14), the handle is locked. Let go of the pin 15. Then, by the urging force of the urging spring 16,
The handle lock pin 15 projects outward to lock the handle 6 to the support pipe 1Ae.

As described above, while the handle 6 can be locked at the armrest position X or the front handrail position Y, when the position is changed, the handle 6 can be unlocked by pressing the handle lock pin 15 and can be rotated horizontally.

In the wheelchair constructed as described above, the handle 6 is displaced as follows to make an armrest or a front handrail.

First, the opening operation and removal of the handrail 9 will be described.

When the handrail lock pin 11 is pushed into the insertion portion 1Af against the urging force of the urging spring 12, the insertion portion 1Af is pressed.
Of the main frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Bb) is released. In this state, lift the handrail 9 slightly,
Insert the insertion section 1Af into the main body frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Bb)
Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the handrail 9 is horizontally rotated to the side of the wheelchair and opened.

Press the handrail lock pin 11 to insert the insertion portion 1Af
With the lock on the main body frame 1B released,
When the handrail 9 is further raised, the insertion portion 1Aa attached to the rear shaft 1Ab is also pulled out of the main body frame 1B (vertical pipe 1Ba). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the entire handrail 9 is removed from the wheelchair.

By opening or removing the handrail 9 to the side as described above, for example, a care-requiring person can easily get on and off between the bed and the wheelchair.

Next, the operation of horizontally rotating the handle 6 to the armrest position X or the front handrail position Y will be described.

Now, it is assumed that the handle 6 is locked at the armrest position X.

When the handle 6 is to be moved to the front handrail position Y, first, the handle lock pin 15 at the position of the hole 13 is supported by the support pipe 1A against the urging force of the urging spring 16.
Push it toward the e side to release the locked state of the handle 6 to the support pipe 1Ae. In this unlocked state, the handle 6 is horizontally rotated from the armrest position X to the front handrail position Y, and when the front handrail position Y is reached, the hand is released from the handle lock pin 15. Then, the handle lock pin 15 protrudes from the hole 14 by the urging force of the urging spring 16,
The handle 6 is locked to the support pipe 1Ae at the front handrail position Y.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the wheelchair is of a type used for bathing, showers, toilets, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this type and can be widely applied to wheelchairs in general.

In the above-described embodiment, the handle 6 is attached to the armrest frame 1A so as to be opened sideways integrally with the fixed armrest 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is a matter of course that the present invention also includes a wheelchair that is mounted on a main body so as to be rotatable horizontally.

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) According to the wheelchair of the first aspect, the handle horizontally rotates between the armrest position and the front handrail position. That is, when the steering wheel is rotated, it does not come out to the side of the wheelchair, so that it can be prevented from hitting an object or a person. Further, since the entire process of rotating the handle can be performed with the same force, the operability can be improved. Further, since the handle does not rotate spontaneously even if the hand is released during the rotation of the handle, safety can be improved. (2) According to the wheelchair of the second aspect, by locking the handle, accidental rotation of the handle can be reliably prevented, so that the safety can be further improved. (3) According to the wheelchair of the third aspect, the fixed armrest and the handle can be horizontally rotated integrally with the wheelchair. Therefore, the care recipient can easily get on and off the wheelchair. (4) According to the wheelchair of the fourth aspect, the fixed armrest and the handle can be integrally removed from the wheelchair. Therefore, the care recipient can easily get on and off the wheelchair.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire wheelchair of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing a handrail of the wheelchair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a handrail of the wheelchair of FIG. 1 is opened.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a handrail of the wheelchair of FIG. 1 is removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional wheelchair.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of a conventional wheelchair.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Frame 2 Wheel 4 Seat 5 Fixed armrest 6 Handle 9 Handrail X Armrest position Y Front handrail position

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A wheelchair having a frame constituting a frame of a wheelchair, and wheels, a seat, and a backrest provided on the frame, an armrest extending in a front-rear direction on a side of a care recipient sitting on the seat. A wheelchair comprising a handle horizontally rotatable between a position and a front handrail position crossing the front of a care recipient sitting on a seat. 2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, further comprising a handle lock mechanism for locking and unlocking the handle between an armrest position and a front handrail position. 3. A wheelchair having a frame constituting a frame of a wheelchair, and wheels, a seat, a backrest, and a fixed armrest provided on the frame. A handle is provided which is horizontally rotatable between an armrest position extending in the direction and a front handrail position crossing the front of the care recipient sitting on the seat, and the fixed armrest and the handle are integrally horizontal to the side of the wheelchair. A wheelchair characterized by being rotatably provided. 4. The wheelchair according to claim 3, wherein the fixed armrest and the handle are integrally rotatable horizontally to the side of the wheelchair, and are integrally provided detachably from the wheelchair. wheelchair.