CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-285520 filed Dec. 16, 2009 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-285521 filed Dec. 16, 2009. The entire contents of these priority applications are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheelchair for use by hospital patients, physically disabled people, elderly people in assisted living, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a wheelchair has been configured of a frame having left and right side sections, a seat section provided in the frame, and wheels disposed on each of the left and right side sections of the frame. Recently, some conventional wheelchairs have also been provided with a wheel separation mechanism for separating a special fan-shaped section of the wheel, which includes an outer circumferential part of the wheel, from the remaining section constituting the wheel while the wheel is in a specific separating position in order to provide the clearance necessary for a person to get on and off the seat section.
Thus, when a person is getting on or off the seat section of the wheelchair, the special fan-shaped section of the wheel including the outer circumferential part of the wheel is separated from the remaining section while the wheel is in the special separating position in order to form the clearance necessary for getting on and off the seat section of the wheelchair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the conventional structure described above, the wheel must be reliably placed in the separating position before separating the special fan-shaped section from the remaining section. However, it takes great care to visually determine when the wheel is in the correct separating position relative to the seat section. This shortcoming alone reduces the convenience of the wheel separation mechanism.
In view of forgoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelchair in which the wheel is easily placed in the separating position.
In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a wheelchair that includes a frame, a seat, a pair of wheels, and a first locking mechanism. The seat is disposed on the frame. The pair of wheels is rotatably supported on the frame. At least one of the pair of wheels includes a removable section that is configured to form a part of an outer circumference of the wheel and to be removable when the wheel is at a predetermined angular position, and a remaining section that is configured to form the outer circumference of the wheel together with the removable section. The first locking mechanism is configured to lock the at least one of the pair of wheels at the predetermined angular position.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a wheelchair that includes a frame, a seat, a pair of wheels, and a lifting mechanism. The seat is disposed on the frame. The pair of wheels is rotatably supported on the frame. At least one of the pair of wheels includes a removable section that is configured to form a part of an outer circumference of the wheel and to be removable when the wheel is at a predetermined angular position, and a remaining section that is configured to form the outer circumference of the wheel together with the removable section. The lifting mechanism is mounted on the frame and is configured to lift the at least one of the pair of wheels a predetermined distance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a right-side view showing the outer structure of a wheelchair in a running state according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a right-side view showing the outer structure of the wheelchair in a state that a wheel is elevated off a contact surface;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the wheelchair around the wheel when the wheel is elevated off the contact surface;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an elevating mechanism and a positioning mechanism when the wheel is elevated off the contact surface;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged left-side view of the elevating mechanism when the wheel is elevated off the contact surface;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the positioning mechanism when the wheel is in contact with the contact surface;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged left-side view of the elevating mechanism when the wheel is in contact with the contact surface;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a locking mechanism when a fan-shape plate is positioned at a locking position;
FIG. 9 is a partial side view of the wheel when the wheel is positioned at a separating position and the fan-shape plate is positioned at a mounting position;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism when the fan-shape plate is positioned at the mounting position;
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a safety mechanism when a removable section is mounted on a remaining section;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the locking mechanism when the removable section is mounted on the remaining section;
FIG. 13 is a partial right-side view of the wheel when the removable section is separated from the remaining section;
FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the safety mechanism when the removable section is separated from the remaining section; and
FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the locking mechanism when the removable section is separated from the remaining section.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A wheelchair according to embodiment of the invention will be described while referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts and components are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid duplicating description.
The terms “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “front”, “rear” and the like will be used throughout the description assuming that the wheelchair is disposed in an orientation in which it is intended to be used.
The wheelchair according to the preferred embodiment includes a frame 1 having left and right side parts. A seat 2, a backrest 3, and footrests 4 are disposed on the frame 1 so as to be positioned in a center region between the left and right sides of the frame 1. Large rear wheels 5 and small front wheels 6 are disposed one each on each of the left and right side parts of the frame 1.
The wheels 5 are freely rotatable about an axle S. The wheel includes a hub 5c fixed to the frame 1 (see FIG. 8), and a fixing disc 5d fixed to the hub 5c. The fixing disc 5d is formed with a locking hole 5e in which a locking pin 12h described later is inserted (see FIG. 8). The left and right side parts of the frame are each provided with an armrest that can be retracted through a retracting mechanism, such as a flip-up mechanism.
The wheelchair also includes a wheel separation mechanism 7 and a mounting mechanism 8. The wheel separation mechanism 7 is configured by forming the right wheel 5 in two separate components, including a removable section 5a shaped like a folding fan and forming part of the outer circumference of the wheel 5 and a remaining section 5b comprising the entire wheel 5 excluding the removable section 5a, and by providing the mounting mechanism 8 (see FIG. 8) for detachably mounting the removable section 5a on the remaining section 5b. The fan-shaped removable section 5a has an arc angle of about 120 degrees, while the remaining section 5b is formed in an arc shape having an arc angle of about 240 degrees for completing the circular shape of the wheel 5.
As shown in FIG. 13, the mounting mechanism 8 is provided on the adjoining surfaces of the removable section 5a and remaining section 5b. Specifically, the mounting mechanism 8 includes engaging protrusions 8a disposed on the removable section 5a, and engaging recessions 8b formed in the remaining section 5b at positions aligned with the engaging protrusions 8a. The removable section 5a is detachably mounted on the remaining section 5b by engaging the engaging protrusions 8a in the engaging recessions 8b. The remaining section 5b is pivotably mounted on the axle S and can be rotated to a separating position F for forming clearance K required for a person to get on and off the seat 2 when the removable section 5a is removed.
The wheelchair also has an elevating mechanism 9 to lift the right wheel 5 off a contact surface M as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the elevating mechanism 9 is configured of a base plate 9a mounted on the frame 1; a pair of left and right, upper links 9b pivotably mounted on the base plate 9a through a support pin 9d penetrating the base ends thereof; a pair of left and right L-shaped lower links 9c pivotably mounted on the base plate 9a through a support pin 9e penetrating the base ends thereof; afoot member 9f pivotably mounted on the distal ends of the lower links 9c via a pin 9g; an actuating link 9h having a middle part pivotably mounted on the distal ends of the upper links 9b via a pin 9i, and a lower end pivotably mounted on middle parts of the lower links 9c via a pin 9j; an operating link 9k pivotably mounted on a lower front part of the frame 1 via a pin 9l (see FIG. 1); a coupling rod 9m coupling one end (rear end) of the operating link 9k to an upper end of the actuating link 9h; and a handle 9n disposed on the other end (front end) of the operating link 9k.
When the outer periphery of the wheel 5 is resting on the contact surface M, as shown in FIG. 7, the operator can pull on the handle 9n to rotate the operating link 9k in one direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1), causing the actuating link 9h to rotate upward into a vertical state shown in FIG. 5. Through the upper links 9b and lower links 9c linked to the actuating link 9h, the lower links 9c rotate downward into a vertical state as the actuating link 9h rotates upward. At this time, the foot member 9f disposed on the bottom of the lower links 9c contacts the contact surface M and lifts the wheel 5 off the contact surface M, as shown in FIG. 5.
While the wheel 5 is elevated, the operator can push on the handle 9n to rotate the operating link 9k in the opposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 1), causing the actuating link 9h to rotate downward into a horizontal state shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the operations of the upper links 9b and lower links 9c linked to the actuating link 9h cause the lower links 9c to rotate upward into a horizontal state as the actuating link 9h rotates downward. When the lower links 9c rotate upward, the foot member 9f separates from the contact surface M, allowing the wheel 5 to come into contact with the contact surface M.
The wheelchair of the preferred embodiment also has a positioning mechanism 10 for positioning the wheel 5 in the separating position F in order to form the clearance K required for a person to get on and off the seat 2.
An interlocking mechanism 11 is also provided for enabling the positioning mechanism 10 when the wheel 5 is elevated and disabling the positioning mechanism 10 when the wheel 5 is resting on the contact surface M.
As shown in FIG. 6, the positioning mechanism 10 includes a mounting piece 10a mounted on the frame 1; a support piece 10b mounted on the wheel side of the mounting piece 10a; a sliding piece 10c mounted on the bottom side of the mounting piece 10a so as to be capable of sliding in a direction toward and away from the wheel 5; a support cylinder 10d mounted on the bottom of the support piece 10b; a spring 10e disposed in the support cylinder 10d; a positioning pin 10f mounted in the support cylinder 10d and urged toward the wheel 5 by the spring 10e, the base end of the positioning pin 10f being engaged with the sliding piece 10c; a cam plate 10g mounted on the outer lower link 9c; an actuating roller 10h rotatably mounted on the sliding piece 10c; a receiving pin 10i mounted in the remaining section 5b of the wheel 5 at a position opposing the positioning pin 10f when the wheel 5 is in the separating position F, the end of the receiving pin 10i having a sloped surface that approaches the positioning ping 10f toward the center of the same end; and a positioning hole 10j formed in the receiving pin 10i for receiving a tip end portion of the positioning pin 10f.
With this construction, when the foot member 9f separates from the contact surface M, placing the wheel 5 in contact with the contact surface M, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the cam plate 10g pulls the actuating roller 10h in a direction away from the wheel 5. At this time, the positioning pin 10f is retracted from the positioning hole 10j, allowing the wheel 5 to roll freely on the ground surface.
When the foot member 9f is placed in contact with the contact surface M so as to lift the wheel 5 off the contact surface M, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, the cam plate 10g is separated from the actuating roller 10h, and the positioning pin 10f protrudes toward the wheel 5 by the urging force of the spring 10e. At this time, the wheel 5 can be freely rotated. As the operator rotates the wheel 5 to a position at which the positioning hole 10j opposes the positioning pin 10f (separating position F), the positioning pin 10f slides over the sloped surface formed on the end of the receiving pin 10i and is fittingly inserted into the positioning hole 10j, as shown in FIG. 4. With the positioning pin 10f fitted into the positioning hole 10j, the wheel 5 is fixed in the separating position F.
The wheelchair of the preferred embodiment is also provided with a locking mechanism 12 for preventing the wheel 5 from rotating when the wheel 5 is in the separating position F. As shown in FIGS. 1, 8, 9, and 10, the locking mechanism 12 has a rotary plate 12a with three crescent-shaped sliding holes 12b formed therein. The rotary plate 12a is mounted on the hub 5c of the wheel 5, which is fixed to the frame 1, by three sliding pins 12c inserted through respective sliding holes 12b. The rotary plate 12a can swivel on the hub 5c within the range that the sliding pins 12c can slide within the sliding holes 12b.
The locking mechanism 12 also includes a fan-shaped plate 12d shaped substantially like a folding fan that is fixed to the rotary plate 12a; a guide rail 12e having a semicircular arc shape that is fixed to the outer edge of the fan-shaped plate 12d; and a guide roll 12f mounted on the removable section 5a of the wheel 5 at a position for contacting the inner surface of the guide rail 12e (see FIG. 1). With this construction, the rotary plate 12a can pivot freely on the wheel 5 with the sliding pins 12c fitted in the sliding holes 12b and the guide roll 12f slidingly contacting the guide rail 12e. Specifically, the fan-shape plate 12d can pivotably rotate between a mounting position D as shown in FIG. 9 and a locking position G as shown in FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 8, the locking mechanism 12 also includes a sliding cylinder 12g mounted on the wheel 5; a locking pin 12h slidably disposed in the sliding cylinder 12g; and a spring 12i disposed in the sliding cylinder 12g for urging the locking pin 12h toward the fan-shaped plate 12d. An operating pin 12k having a knob 12j on one end thereof is disposed in the fan-shaped plate 12d and is capable of sliding in a direction toward and away from the wheel 5. A spring 12l is provided for urging the operating pin 12k toward the wheel 5. The operating pin 12k is formed with a groove 12r which is selectively engaged with a groove 13d described later.
The locking mechanism 12 also includes a receiving pin 12n provided in the removable section 5a of the wheel 5. The receiving pin 12n has a positioning hole 12m formed therein for receiving a tip end portion of the operating pin 12k when the fan-shape plate 12d is positioned at the locking position G as shown in FIG. 2.
The locking mechanism 12 also has a receiving pin 12p provided in the remaining section 5b of the wheel 5 (see FIG. 12). The receiving pin 12p has a positioning hole 12o for receiving the tip end portion of the operating pin 12k when the fan-shape plate 12d is positioned at the mounting position D as shown in FIGS. 9 and 13.
A rail cam 12q is formed on the fan-shaped plate 12d for forcing the locking pin 12h back in the sliding cylinder 12g against the elastic force of the spring 12i (see FIG. 10). The locking ping 12h is capable of engaging the locking hole 5e of the fixing disc 5d.
When the fan-shape plate 12d is positioned at the locking position G shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the operating pin 12k is fitted into the positioning hole 12m. While the wheel 5 is in the separating position F, the operator grips the knob 12j and pulls the operating pin 12k out of the positioning hole 12m. In this state, the operator rotates the fan-shaped plate 12d clockwise in FIG. 2 so that the fan-shaped plate 12d rotates from the locking position G shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 to the mounting position D shown in FIG. 9.
When the operator releases the knob 12j at this position, the rotary plate 12a urges the operating pin 12k toward and into the positioning hole 12o formed in the receiving pin 12p (see FIG. 12), thereby fixing the position of the fan-shaped plate 12d. When the fan-shaped plate 12d is rotated in this way, the rail cam 12q forces the locking pin 12h back against the spring 12i so that the locking pin 12h is fitted into the locking hole 5e formed in the fixing disc 5d, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, thereby preventing rotation of the wheel 5.
From the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the operator grips the knob 12j and pulls the operating pin 12k out from the positioning hole 12o. In this state, the operator can rotate the fan-shaped plate 12d counterclockwise in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. 2. At this time, the spring 12l urges the operating pin 12k back into the positioning hole 12m formed in the receiving pin 12n, thereby fixing the position of the fan-shaped plate 12d. By rotating the fan-shaped plate 12d in this way, the rail cam 12q is separated from the locking pin 12h, allowing the locking pin 12h to move from the state shown in FIG. 10 to the state shown in FIG. 8. Specifically, the locking pin 12h slides along the surface of the rail cam 12q while the spring 12i pushes the locking pin 12h toward the fan-shaped plate 12d until the base end of the locking pin 12h is extracted from the locking hole 5e. When the locking pin 12h is extracted from the locking hole 5e, the wheel 5 is again free to rotate.
The wheelchair according to the preferred embodiment also includes a safety mechanism 13. The safety mechanism 13 functions to prevent the locking mechanism 12 from being disabled when the removable section 5a is separated from the remaining section 5b and to allow the locking mechanism 12 to be disabled when the removable section 5a is mounted on the remaining section 5b.
As shown in FIGS. 9, 11, and 12, the safety mechanism 13 includes a pressing plate 13a mounted on the removable section 5a; a retaining plate 13b mounted on the remaining section 5b; an engaging member 13c disposed on the retaining plate 13b so as to be capable of sliding vertically, the engaging member 13c is formed with an engaging groove 13d which is capable of being detachably inserted into the groove 12r formed in the knob 12j; and a spring 13e disposed in the retaining plate 13b for urging the engaging groove 13d upward to be engaged in the groove 12r.
As illustrated in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, when the removable section 5a is separated from the remaining section 5b, the pressing plate 13a is separated from the engaging member 13c and the engaging groove 13d formed in the engaging member 13c is engaged in the groove 12r by the urging force of the spring 13e. This engagement prevents the operating pin 12k from being pulled out of the positioning hole 12o formed in the receiving pin 12p and, thus, prevents the fan-shaped plate 12d from being rotated. Hence, this construction prevents the operator from accidentally pulling the knob 12j of the operating pin 12k and extracting the base end of the locking pin 12h from the locking hole 5e, thereby preventing the locking mechanism 12 from being unexpectedly disabled when the wheel 5 is in the separating position F and, thus, preventing the wheel 5 from unexpectedly rotating.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 9, 11, and 12, when the removable section 5a is mounted on the remaining section 5b, the pressing plate 13a presses against the engaging member 13c, pushing the engaging member 13c against the elastic force of the spring 13e so that the engaging groove 13d separates from the groove 12r. Consequently, the operating pin 12k can be pulled outward, allowing the fan-shaped plate 12d to be rotated and the base end of the locking pin 12h to be extracted from the locking hole 5e for disabling the locking mechanism 12.
A removable section separating process will be described below.
The wheelchair 1 is in a state as shown in FIG. 1. An operator pulls the handle 9n to lift the wheel 5 off the contact surface M so that the wheel 5 can be freely rotated. At this time, the cam plate 10g is away from the actuating roller 10h and the positioning pin 10f is in contact with the wheel 5 by the urging force of the spring 10e. When the operator rotates the wheel 5 to be positioned at the separating position F, the positioning pin 10f is engaged with the receiving ping 10i, thereby fixing the wheel 5 at the separating position F (FIG. 3).
The operator pulls the knob 12j from the receiving hole 12o of the removable section 5a and rotates the fan-shape plate 12d in clockwise direction. The fan-shape plate 12d is moved from the locking position G to the mounting position D. When the operator releases the knob 12j at the mounting position D, the operating pin 12k is engaged with the receiving pin 12p of the remaining section 5b, and simultaneously the locking pin 12h is fitted into the locking hole 5e (FIG. 10), thereby preventing the wheel 5 from freely rotating.
In this state, the operator can separate the removable section 5a from the remaining section 5b. Then, the pressing plate 13a is away from the engaging member 13c, and the engaging groove 13d is engaged with the groove 12r so that the operator cannot pull the knob 12j (FIGS. 14, and 15).
With the wheelchair according to the preferred embodiment described above, clearance K necessary for a person to get on and off the seat 2 can be formed using the wheel separation mechanism 7 to separate the fan-shaped removable section 5a from the remaining section 5b. Thereafter, the removable section 5a can be adjoined with the remaining section 5b to allow the seated person use of the wheelchair. Thus, the wheelchair according to the preferred embodiment enables a hospital patient, physically disabled person, elderly person in assisted living, and the like to get on and off the wheelchair smoothly and easily.
By providing the positioning mechanism 10 for fixing the wheel 5 in the separating position F, the operator can rotate the wheel 5 to the separating position F and fittingly insert the positioning pin 10f on the frame side of the positioning mechanism 10 into the positioning hole 10j on the wheel 5 side to fix the wheel 5 in the separating position F, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. Accordingly, the operator can easily fix the wheel 5 in the separating position F in order to form the clearance K required for getting on and off the seat 2, thereby improving the operation for positioning the wheel 5 and, thus, enhancing convenience for the user.
By providing the elevating mechanism 9 on the frame 1 for elevating the wheel 5 off the contact surface M, the operator can pull the operating link 9k using the handle 9n while the wheel 5 is resting on the contact surface M, as shown in FIG. 7, pushing the foot member 9f against the contact surface M to lift the wheel 5 off the contact surface M. While the wheel 5 is elevated off the contact surface M, the wheel 5 can freely rotate. Accordingly, the operator can easily rotate the wheel 5 into the separating position F for forming the clearance K required for getting on and off the seat 2, thereby facilitating the operation for positioning the wheel 5 with the positioning mechanism 10.
With the interlocking mechanism 11 for enabling operations of the positioning mechanism 10 when the wheel 5 is elevated and for disabling operations of the positioning mechanism 10 when the wheel 5 is in contact with the contact surface M, the cam plate 10g pulls the actuating roller 10h away from the wheel 5 when the wheel 5 is in contact with the contact surface M, as shown in FIG. 6, thereby extracting the positioning pin 10f from the positioning hole 10j. When the wheel 5 is elevated, the cam plate 10g separates from the actuating roller 10h so that the positioning pin 10f is fittingly inserted into the positioning hole 10j through the urging force of the spring 10e when the wheel 5 is in the separating position F, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the operation of the positioning mechanism 10 is enabled and disabled in association with the operations for raising and lowering the wheel 5, thereby facilitating operations of the positioning mechanism 10.
Further, by providing the locking mechanism 12 for preventing rotation of the wheel 5 in the separating position F, the base end of the locking pin 12h is inserted into the locking hole 5e when the fan-shape plate 12d is positioned at the mounting position D, as shown in FIG. 9, preventing the wheel 5 from rotating. Accordingly, the wheel 5 can be reliably fixed in the separating position F for forming the clearance K required to get on and off the seat 2.
Further, with the safety mechanism 13 for preventing the locking mechanism 12 from being disabled when the removable section 5a is separated from the remaining section 5b and for allowing the locking mechanism 12 to be disabled when the removable section 5a is mounted on the remaining section 5b, the pressing plate 13a is separated from the engaging member 13c when the removable section 5a is separated from the remaining section 5b, as shown in FIG. 14, so that the engaging groove 13d of the engaging member 13c is engaged in the groove 12r through the urging force of the spring 13e. This construction prevents the operating pin 12k from being pulled out of the positioning hole 12o formed in the receiving pin 12p, thereby preventing the fan-shaped plate 12d from rotating. Hence, the operator is prevented from mistakenly pulling the knob 12j of the operating pin 12k and extracting the base end of the locking pin 12h from the locking hole 5e, thereby preventing the locking mechanism 12 from being unexpectedly disabled when the wheel 5 is in the separating position F. Thus, the remaining section 5b of the wheel 5 is prevented from rotating when the removable section 5a is separated therefrom, enhancing operational safety.
While the invention has been described in detail with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the structures and design of the frame 1, seat 2, wheel separation mechanism 7, elevating mechanism 9, positioning mechanism 10, interlocking mechanism 11, locking mechanism 12, and safety mechanism 13, for example, without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the attached claims.
The present invention according to the preferred embodiment can sufficiently attain the objectives described earlier for improving the prior art.
In the embodiment described above, the separation mechanism 7 is provided only in the right wheel 5. However, the separation mechanism 7 may be provided in at least one of wheels 5.
In the embodiment, the elevating mechanism 9 lifts the right wheel 5. However, the elevating mechanism 9 may be modified to as to lift both right and left wheels 5.
Patent Application
20110140395
