The present application contains subject matter related to Japanese Priority Application 2020-043665, filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Mar. 13, 2020, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a wheelchair.
Wheelchairs are used by elderly people, disabled people (physically handicapped people), and the like. Such wheelchair users may get on and off vehicles such as automobiles. At this time, such a wheelchair user may get on and off a vehicle with the assistance of a caregiver or may get on and off a vehicle by himself or herself.
Patent document 1 discloses an example of the structure for assisting a wheelchair user in getting on and off vehicles. Patent document 1 discloses a getting-on-and-off assist mechanism including an arm rotatably supported by a seat back constituting the backrest portion of a vehicle seat and a transfer board attached to the end of the arm.
The arm is rotatably supported by the frame of the seat back close to the door and the straight portion of the end portion can rotate between the posture along the side surface of the seat back and the posture along the side surface of the seat portion. The transfer board is rotatable with respect to the end portion of the arm and is substantially parallel to the seat portion when the transfer board is open, and the other end thereof projects outward of the door. A hook for locking the frame of the wheelchair is provided at the end of the transfer board.
In the getting-on-and-off assist mechanism disclosed in patent document 1, when getting on and off the vehicle, the wheelchair user opens the transfer board and locks the hook to the frame of the wheelchair so that the wheelchair user can move between the seat of the wheelchair and the seat of the vehicle via the transfer board.
However, since the getting-on-and-off assist mechanism disclosed in patent document 1 above locks the wheelchair to the seat of the vehicle via the arm and the transfer board, which are separate members from the seat of the vehicle and the wheelchair, the wheelchair may become unstable when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.
The present disclosure addresses the above problems with an object of providing a wheelchair that can be stably fixed to a vehicle when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.
A wheelchair according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a seating portion on which a wheelchair user sits; a body frame that supports the seating portion; a wheel rotatably supported by the body frame; a seat back portion configured to change an inclination angle with respect to the seating portion; and an engaging portion configured to fix the seat back portion to a vehicle body member that forms a door opening of a vehicle by being engaged with the vehicle body member when the seat back portion is tilted backward of the wheelchair.
According to this structure, when the seat back portion is tilted backward of the wheelchair, the engaging portion is engaged with the vehicle body member forming the door opening of the vehicle, thereby enabling the seat back portion to be fixed to the vehicle body member. Accordingly, since the wheelchair and the vehicle are directly connected to each other without intervention of another member, the wheelchair can be stably fixed to the vehicle when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.
In the wheelchair described above, preferably, the engaging portion includes a push-along handle portion that is provided behind the seat back portion and grippable by an assistant pushing the wheelchair.
According to this structure, the engaging portion includes the push-along handle portion provided behind the seat back portion. Accordingly, the seat back portion can be easily fixed to the vehicle body member that forms the door opening of the vehicle by simply connecting the push-along handle portion to the vehicle body member when the seat back portion is tilted backward of the wheelchair. Moreover, since the push-along handle portion is also used as the engaging portion, an increase in the number of components of the wheelchair can be suppressed.
In the wheelchair described above, preferably, the push-along handle portion projects backward of the seat back portion and is engageable with an engaged portion formed in the vehicle body member when the seat back portion is tilted backward of the wheelchair.
According to this structure, when the seat back portion is tilted backward of the wheelchair, the push-along handle portion is engaged with the engaged portion such as a concave portion formed in the vehicle body member of the vehicle, thereby enabling the wheelchair to be stably fixed to the vehicle. Accordingly, the wheelchair user can easily transfer from the wheelchair to the seat of the vehicle. Moreover, after transferring to the seat of the vehicle, the state in which the wheelchair is fixed to the vehicle can be easily released by removing the push-along handle portion from the engaged portion of the vehicle body member.
In the wheelchair described above, preferably, the engaging portion has a holding portion disposed apart from the push-along handle portion, the holding portion being capable of holding the vehicle body member together with the push-along handle portion.
According to this structure, the push-along handle portion can be engaged with the engaged portion of the vehicle body member that forms the door opening when the seat back portion is tilted backward of the wheelchair, and the vehicle body member can be held by the pushed-along handle portion and the holding portion. This can securely fix the wheelchair to the vehicle body member.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is an example of the present disclosure and the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment except for the essential structure thereof.
As illustrated in
Specifically, the vehicle 1 in the
The vehicle 1 includes vehicle body members that form at least parts of the door opening 3 of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the vehicle 1 in the
In addition, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The wheelchair seat 13 includes a seating portion 13a on which the wheelchair user can sit, the seat back portion 13b with which the back of the user makes contact, a pair of support bars 13e that support both sides of the seat back portion 13b, and the pair of push-along handle portions 13c that can be gripped, from behind the wheelchair 11, by an assistant or the like who pushes the wheelchair 11 (generic term for a person who pushes the wheelchair 11 from behind, such as an assistant or a caregiver). In an exemplary embodiment, the push-along handle portions 13c constitute the engaging portions by which the wheelchair 11 can be fixed to the vehicle 1.
As illustrated in
Although the wheelchair seat 13 is detachably attached above the body frame 14, the wheelchair seat 13 may be fixed to the body frame 14.
Furthermore, as illustrated in
The pair of rear wheels 15 is rotatably attached to the pair of main frames 17, respectively.
The main frames 17 according to an exemplary embodiment are L-shaped members as illustrated in
The pair of sub-frames 18 is provided so as to extend downward of the main frames 17 and forward of the rear wheels 15 from the main frames 17. The pair of front wheels 16 is rotatably attached to the front end portions of the pair of sub-frames 18.
Each of the rear wheels 15 illustrated in
The pair of footrests 21 are the portions on which the feet of the wheelchair user are placed. The pair of footrests 21 is attached to positions above the front wheels 16 of the pair of sub-frames 18 via the pair of footrest arms 22.
The pair of push-along handle portions 13c has the structure in which the seat back portion 13b can be fixed to the side sill 7 by engaging the push-along handle portions 13c with the side sill 7, which is the vehicle body member that forms the door opening 3 of the vehicle 1, when the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11. Specifically, the push-along handle portions 13c project backward of the seat back portion 13b from the upper ends of the pair of support bars 13e supporting both sides of the seat back portion 13b.
In the wheelchair 11 according to the exemplary embodiment configured as described above, the wheelchair 11 can be easily fixed to the vehicle 1 by simply tilting the seat back portion 13b backward of the wheelchair 11 as illustrated in
The push-along handle portions 13c may be engaged with the edge portion on the vehicle inner side of the interior trim 9 or the side sill 7 without being engaged with the pair of engaged holes 9a.
(Characteristics of the Exemplary Embodiment)
(1)
The wheelchair 11 according to an exemplary embodiment includes the seating portion 13a on which the user of the wheelchair 11 sits, the body frame 14 that supports the seating portion 13a, and the wheels (the pair of rear wheels 15 and the pair of front wheels 16) rotatably supported on the left and right sides of the body frame 14, and the seat back portion 13b capable of changing the inclination angle with respect to the seating portion 13a, in which the push-along handle portions 13c are provided as the engaging portions for fixing the seat back portion 13b to the vehicle body member. When the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11 as illustrated in
According to this structure, when the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11, the push-along handle portions 13c as the engaging portions are engaged with the side sill 7, which is the vehicle body member forming the door opening 3 of the vehicle 1, and the seat back portion 13b can be fixed to the side sill 7. Accordingly, since the wheelchair 11 and the vehicle 1 are directly connected to each other without intervention of another member, the wheelchair can be stably fixed to the vehicle 1 when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle 1. In this state, the wheelchair user can easily move from the seat back portion 13b to the seat 6 of the vehicle 1 by hand or the like.
In addition, since the wheelchair 11 according to an exemplary embodiment has the push-along handle portions 13c as the engaging portions, the getting-on-and-off assist mechanism including the transfer board does not need to be provided in the vehicle 1 unlike the prior art described in patent document 1, there is an advantage that the space in the vehicle is not reduced.
(2)
In the wheelchair 11 according to an exemplary embodiment, the engaging portions are configured by the push-along handle portions 13c, provided behind the seat back portion 13b, that can be gripped by the assistant pushing the wheelchair 11.
According to this structure, the engaging portions are configured by the pair of push-along handle portions 13c provided behind the seat back portion 13b. Accordingly, the seat back portion 13b can be easily fixed to the side sill 7 by simply connecting the push-along handle portions 13c to the engaged holes 9a of the interior trim 9 fixed to the side sill 7 as the vehicle body member that forms the door opening 3 of the vehicle 1 when the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11. Moreover, since the push-along handle portions 13c not only have the original function of the push-along handle portions 13c through which the assistant or the like pushes the wheelchair 11 by hand, but also serve as the engaging portions for fixing the wheelchair 11 to the vehicle 1, an increase in the number of components of the wheelchair can be reduced.
In addition, the pair of push-along handle portions 13c is used as the engaging portions in an exemplary embodiment. Accordingly, the seat back portion 13b of the wheelchair 11 can be more stably fixed to the side sill 7 by the pair of push-along handle portions 13c disposed apart from each other.
(3)
In the wheelchair 11 according to an exemplary embodiment, the push-along handle portions 13c project backward of the seat back portion 13b and can be engaged with the engaged portions (the engaged holes 9a of the interior trim 9 fixed to the side sill 7 in an exemplary embodiment) formed in the vehicle body member when the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11. According to this structure, since the push-along handle portions 13c are engaged with the engaged holes 9a of the interior trim 9 as the engaged portions formed in the vehicle body member when the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11, the wheelchair 11 can be stably fixed to the vehicle 1. Accordingly, the wheelchair user can easily transfer from the wheelchair 11 to the vehicle seat 6. Moreover, after transferring to the vehicle seat 6, the state in which the wheelchair 11 is fixed to the vehicle 1 can be easily released by removing the push-along handle portions 13c from the engaged holes 9a.
(4)
In the wheelchair 11 according to an exemplary embodiment, the push-along handle portions 13c, which are the engaging portions, can be engaged with the side sill 7, which forms the lower edge of the door opening 3 formed on the side surface of the vehicle 1.
According to this structure, by engaging the push-along handle portions 13c with the side sill 7, which is the strength member forming the lower edge of the door opening 3 on the side surface of the vehicle 1, to fix the seat back portion 13b to the side sill 7, the wheelchair 11 can be securely fixed to the vehicle body 2 at a position as close as possible to the vehicle seat 6 of the vehicle 1. As a result, the wheelchair user can easily transfer from the wheelchair 11 to the vehicle seat 6 of the vehicle 1.
(Modifications)
(A)
Although the engaging portions engaged with the vehicle body member are configured by the push-along handle portions 13c that project backward of the seat back portion 13b in an exemplary embodiment described above, the engaging portions may further include holding portions 23 as illustrated in
In the wheelchair according to the modification illustrated in
(B)
Although the push-along handle portions 13c are engaged with the pair of engaged holes 9a of the interior trim 9 fixed to the upper surface of the side sill 7 in the exemplary embodiment described above, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. In a modification of the present disclosure, the push-along handle portions 13c may be engaged with concave portions or convex portions (such as flange portions) formed on the side sill 7 and, in this case, the push-along handle portions 13c can be fixed directly to the side sill 7 without intervention of the interior trim 9, thereby achieving a simpler structure of the vehicle 1 and a stronger fixation between the wheelchair 11 and vehicle 1.
(C)
Although the engaging portions are configured by the push-along handle portions 13c in the exemplary embodiment described above, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. The engaging portions of the present disclosure are the engaging portions provided in the seat back portion 13b and only need to have the structure in which the seat back portion 13b can be fixed to the vehicle body member such as the side sill 7 that forms the door opening 3 of the vehicle 1 when the seat back portion 13b is tilted backward of the wheelchair 11. Accordingly, a dedicated member may be provided as the engaging portion separately from the push-along handle portions 13c.
(D)
In the present disclosure, the door opening of the vehicle 1 is not limited to the door opening 3 on the side surface of the vehicle 1 and may be a rear gate that opens in the rear portion of the vehicle 1. Even in this case, the wheelchair 11 can be fixed to the periphery of the rear gate that opens in the rear portion of the vehicle 1 by the push-along handle portions 13c, which are the engaging portions.
(E)
Although the push-along handle portions 13c are used as an example of the engaging portions in the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. As another example of the engaging portion, one of a latch mechanism used for a locking mechanism for a vehicle door and an engaged portion such as a striker engaged with the latch mechanism may be attached to the rear side of the seat back portion 13b of the wheelchair 11. In this case, the other of the latch mechanism and the engaged portion only needs to be attached to the vehicle body member.
(F)
Although the wheelchair 11 is fixed to the side sill 7 at the lower edge of the door opening 3 in the exemplary embodiment described above, the present disclosure is not limited to this example and the wheelchair 11 may be fixed to another vehicle body member (such as, for example, the front door 4) around the door opening 3.
In the wheelchairs according to the aspects described above, the wheelchairs can be stably fixed to the vehicle when the wheelchair user gets on and off the vehicle.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2020-043665 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6416272 | Suehiro | Jul 2002 | B1 |
9016797 | Iida | Apr 2015 | B2 |
9039028 | Kobayashi | May 2015 | B2 |
9463121 | Maeshiro | Oct 2016 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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7-31456 | Feb 1995 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210282992 A1 | Sep 2021 | US |