Wheelchair, brake unit therefor, and brake unit for a manually-propelled vehicle

• US 7,144,025 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TEAC Corporation
• Original Assignee: TEAC Corporation
• Inventors: Takagi, Kiyoshi, Nozawa, Takao, Wakita, Toyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharich, Marc A.
• Application Number:
  US10/971,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20050087954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 280/250.1, 280/304.1, 180/273, 180/907, 188/1.11 E, 188/19, 188/20, 188/2.F, 188/109, 188/72.1, 188/156, 188/158, 188/159
• US Class Current: 280/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/101 of the parking brake type, e.g. holding the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1016 on the rim
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1018 on the running surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1035 manipulated by wheelchair user
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1067 adjusting the backrest relative to the seat portion
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/06 acting otherwise than on tread, e.g. employing rim, drum, disc, or transmission or on double wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 with electrical assistance or drive
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0409 when user rises from seat
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0476 Rim brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2121/24 using motors
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2125/30 acting on two or more cam followers, e.g. S-cams
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2125/48 with parallel stationary axes, e.g. spur gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2125/52 with non-parallel stationary axes, e.g. worm or bevel gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2127/08 Self-amplifying or de-amplifying mechanisms

Abstract

A wheelchair is disclosed that includes a seat, a pair of wheels, a detection part indicating the presence or absence of a user on the seat, electric brake units switching between applying braking forces to and releasing braking forces from the wheels based on control signals, and a control part connected to the detection part and the electric brake units and outputting the control signals to the electric brake units. The control signals include a first control signal causing the braking forces by the electric brake units to be applied to the wheels and a second control signal causing the braking forces by the electric brake units to be released therefrom. The first control signal is output when the detection part indicates the absence of the user on the seat, and the second control signal is output when the detection part indicates the presence of the user on the seat.

Claims

1. A wheelchair comprising:

a seat;

a pair of wheels provided on first and second sides of the seat;

a detection part configured to indicate presence or absence of a user on the seat;

a pair of electric brake units configured to switch between applying braking forces to and releasing braking forces from the wheels based on control signals; and

a control part connected to the detection part and the electric brake units, the control part being configured to output the control signals to the electric brake units, the control signals including a first control signal causing the braking forces by the electric brake units to be applied to the wheels and a second control signal causing the braking forces by the electric brake units to be released from the wheels, the first control signal being output when the detection part indicates the absence of the user on the seat and the second control signal being output when the detection part indicates the presence of the user on the seat; and

an input part configured to be manually operated so as to input a signal to the control part,

wherein when the input part is manually operated so as to input the signal to the control part, the control part outputs the second control signal irrespective of the presence or absence of the user on the seat indicated by the detection part.

3. The wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection part indicates the presence or absence of the user based on detection of weight of the user.

2. A wheelchair comprising:

a seat;

a pair of wheels provided on first and second sides of the seat;

a detection part configured to indicate presence or absence of a user on the seat;

a pair of electric brake units configured to switch between applying braking forces to and releasing braking forces from the wheels based on control signals; and

a control part connected to the detection part and the electric brake units, the control part being configured to output the control signals to the electric brake units, the control signals including a first control signal causing the braking forces by the electric brake units to be applied to the wheels and a second control signal causing the braking forces by the electric brake units to be released from the wheels, the first control signal being output when the detection part indicates the absence of the user on the seat and the second control signal being output when the detection part indicates the presence of the user on the seat

wherein the control part outputs the second control signal to the electric brake units after passage of a predetermined period of time after the detection part indicates the presence of the user on the seat.

4. A brake unit for a wheelchair, comprising:

a brake member operable to switch between applying braking forces to and releasing braking forces from a wheel of the wheelchair;

a driving part configured to drive the brake member to a braking position;

a detection part configured to indicate presence or absence of a user on a seat of the wheelchair; and

a control part connected to the detection part and the driving part, the control part being configured to control the driving part so that when the detection part indicates the absence of the user on the seat, the driving part transmits a driving force to the brake member to apply the braking forces to the wheel, and when the detection part indicates the presence of the user on the seat, the driving part stops the driving force to release the brake forces from the wheel; and

an input part configured to be manually operated so as to input a signal to the control part,

wherein when the input part is manually operated so as to input the signal to the control part, the control part controls the driving part so that the driving part stops the driving force to release the brake forces from the wheel irrespective of the presence or absence of the user on the seat indicated by the detection part.

5. A brake unit for a wheelchair, comprising:

a brake member operable to switch between applying braking forces to and releasing braking forces from a wheel of the wheelchair;

a driving part configured to drive the brake member to a braking position;

a detection part configured to indicate presence or absence of a user on a seat of the wheelchair; and

a control part connected to the detection part and the driving part, the control part being configured to control the driving part so that when the detection part indicates the absence of the user on the seat, the driving part transmits a driving force to the brake member to apply the braking forces to the wheel, and when the detection part indicates the presence of the user on the seat, the driving part stops the driving force to release the brake forces from the wheel

wherein the control part controls the driving part so that the driving part stops the driving force to release the braking forces from the wheel after passage of a predetermined period of time after the detection part indicates the presence of the user.

6. A brake unit for a manually-propelled vehicle, the brake unit being attached near one side of a wheel of the manually-propelled vehicle, the brake unit comprising:

a fixing member attached to a frame of the manually-propelled vehicle so as to oppose an inside of the wheel;

a first rotating member attached to the fixing member so as to be rotatable in a first direction in which the wheel moves;

a first brake member supported by the first rotating member;

a second rotating member attached to the fixing member so as to be rotatable in a second direction in which the wheel moves, the second direction being opposite to the first direction;

a second brake member supported by the second rotating member;

an urging member configured to urge the first and second rotating members so that the first and second brake members are pressed in a direction to come into contact with the wheel; and

a brake releasing part configured to drive the first and second rotating members against an urging force of the urging member so that the first and second brake members are moved away from the wheel.

7. The brake unit for the manually-propelled vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the brake releasing part comprises:

a state detection part configured to detect that the manually-propelled vehicle is not in a normal use state so as to output a detection signal;

a control part configured to output a control signal based on the detection signal output from the state detection part; and

a driving part configured to move the first and second brake members away from the wheel based on the control signal output from the control part.