TWI429423B - Wheelchair apparatus and wheelchair service network system - Google Patents

Description

Wheelchair device and wheelchair care network system

The present invention relates to a wheelchair, a wheelchair device, and a wheelchair care network system, and more particularly to a wheelchair, wheelchair device, and wheelchair care network system having an automatic braking function, a user attitude detection function.

Wheelchairs are indispensable aids for people with impaired mobility, and most wheelchairs are limited to the most basic manual wheelchairs. The manual wheelchair itself is arbitrarily slidable and is not essentially a stable and safe system. Many wheelchair users with physical disabilities often suffer from accidental injuries in wheelchairs because of inadequate control or improper use of the wheelchair.

The accident of wheelchair use is most likely to occur clinically when a wheelchair user gets up and sits in a wheelchair, and the wheelchair unconsciously slides open, causing a fall accident. In addition, the high probability of accidents is that when the wheelchair user is behind the wheelchair and the wheelchair is used as a walking aid, the wheelchair slides forward due to improper coordination or unstable steps, causing a fall accident. In addition to accidents that fall, long-term wheelchair users often suffer from pressure sores due to local over-pressure, or deformation of limb bones caused by prolonged posture, and diseases such as pressure sores and bone deformation are not only caused to patients. Health threats, treatment of these diseases also cost significant medical expenses.

In the context of the use of institutional care, the elimination of accidents caused by wheelchair use, pressure sores, and deformation of the limbs caused by physical deformation are achieved through the management system implemented by the care work. However, due to the aging of the population structure and the increasing labor costs, a caregiver is often responsible for the care load of a dozen or even dozens of people. It is almost impossible to achieve a carefree effect without any loss or gap. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to intervene in science and technology, reduce the physical and psychological load of caregivers, and separate the work content that is suitable for separation from the caregivers, such as the monitoring of the physical posture and physiological state of the caregiver, or the high risk of being taken care of by the caregiver. Forecasts, etc., by properly planning the sensing environment to obtain relevant information, and timely reminding and warning wheelchair users and caregivers, can achieve the effect of reducing accidents.

The invention provides a wheelchair with an automatic braking device, a wheelchair device with a user attitude detection and a wheelchair care network system, and is applied to an environment of nursing care or general home care, which can improve the quality of care and reduce the use of wheelchairs. Risk of accident.

A wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a seat cushion, at least one wheel axle, and a seat cushion weight sensing mechanism. The wheel axle includes a brake device for stopping the wheel axle. The seat weight sensing mechanism is disposed under the seat cushion and connected to the brake device. When the seat cushion is subjected to more than a predetermined weight, the seat cushion weight sensing mechanism pulls the brake device to release the brake of the wheel axle; when the seat cushion is not subjected to the preset weight, the brake device stops the wheel axle.

A wheelchair device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a wheelchair and a data processing unit. The wheelchair structure includes a seat cushion, a back pad and an armrest pad, and at least one of the seat cushion, the back pad and the armrest pad is provided with a plurality of sensors. The data processing unit is configured to process the sensing data detected by the plurality of sensors to analyze the posture and motion of the wheelchair user.

A wheelchair care network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wheelchair, a server, and at least one user interface. The wheelchair includes a seat cushion, a back pad and an armrest pad, and at least one of the seat cushion, the back pad and the armrest pad is provided with a plurality of sensors. The wheelchair further includes a data processing unit for processing the sensing data detected by the plurality of sensors to analyze the posture and motion of the wheelchair user. The server stores and processes the sensing data transmitted from the wheelchair. The user interface is connected to the server to provide caregivers with access to the sensing data in the server.

The implementation methods disclosed in the present invention are exemplified below with reference to the drawings, but the implementations are merely illustrative and not limiting.

The commonly used collapsible storage manual wheelchair is a dangerous device that can be arbitrarily slid when the handbrake is not locked. Many wheelchair accidents are caused by the inadvertent sliding of the wheelchair, causing the user to fall accidentally. 1 is a wheelchair 10 with an automatic braking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A wheel brake device (for example, a disk brake device) is mounted on a wheel axle 11 of a wheelchair 10, and a brake cable 12 of the brake is connected to the seat cushion. 14 on the side of the pulling member (for example, the rotating wheel) 13, the pulling member 13 is provided with a coil spring, which can force the brake cable 12 to be tightened to lock the disc brake, whereby the wheelchair 10 is unlocked without releasing the brake Can not be arbitrarily implemented For example, when the wheelchair 10 is unoccupied, the loop spring on the pulling member 13 exerts a force on the brake of the wheel axle 11 to lock the brake, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a turning pulley 18 is disposed at each of the left and right sides of the seat cushion 14 at a central position. The cable 17 is connected to the pulling member 13 and bypasses the turning pulley 18 and is connected to the fixing point 20 provided on the other side of the seat cushion 14. The cable 17 forms an interwoven mesh cushion weight sensing mechanism 40 for supporting and sensing the wheelchair user. When the wheelchair user's buttocks are properly seated on the wheelchair cushion 14, the deformation of the seat cushion 14 presses the linkage mechanism of the lower cable 17 into a tension of the interlocking cable 12, which will offset the loop of the traction member 13. The force of the spring releases the state of the original brake, as shown in Figure 3. In other words, the mechanism of the automatic braking is equivalent to when the seat cushion 14 is not subjected to the preset weight (for example, the user is not seated), the braking device stops the wheel axle 11 when the seat cushion 14 is subjected to more than a predetermined weight. (For example, the user has already taken the seat), the seat cushion weight sensing mechanism 40 pulls the brake device to release the brake of the wheel axle 11. In addition, there is also a brake release device 16 on the push armrest 15 behind the wheelchair 10. When the user presses the brake release device 16, the applied tension is transmitted to the puller 13 by the cable 19, and the cable 12 is pulled to release the brake. Locked, as shown in Figure 4.

Referring to Fig. 5, other variations may be made regarding the arrangement of the cable 17. The pulling members 13 are disposed on both sides of the wheelchair cushion 14. The cable 17 is connected to a fixed point 20 provided on the opposite side of the seat cushion 14 to form an interwoven mesh cushion weight sensing mechanism 40 for supporting and sensing the wheelchair user. This embodiment does not require a turning pulley, and the design thereof is simpler, but the problems of support strength and user comfort must be considered.

Referring to Figure 6, the cable can be replaced by a wide strap 21 to increase user comfort. However, if the telescopic effect of the cord 21 is poor, the rigidity thereof is sufficient to prevent the pressure under the weight from being deformed and absorbed by the cord 21, and the effect of driving the attracting member 13 is lost.

Referring to Figure 7, the replacement of the cable or the cord with the mesh fabric 22 or the leather surface further enhances comfort. However, its own shape variable should be small enough so that its deformation does not consume the weight of the downforce, and the effect of pulling the puller 13 is lost.

In summary, whether it is a cable weight sensing mechanism composed of a steel cable, a rope belt, a mesh fabric or a leather surface, it can automatically sense whether the user is sitting on the seat cushion. When the user is seated, the seat cushion weight sensing mechanism pulls the brake device to release the brake of the wheel axle. Otherwise, the brake device 煞 stops the axle.

Figure 8 is a detailed structure of one embodiment of the pulling member 13, which is a rotating wheel type in which the tension of the three steel cables 12, 17 and 19 is converted by the pulley 30, and one end of the three-column steel cable 12, 17 or 19 is respectively fixed at At the three fixed points of the pulley 30, any one of the cables 12, 17 or 19 undergoes a change in tension, that is, the other two cables are pulled, causing the actuation force of the associated device. The center of the pulley 30 has a coil spring 31, and the elastic force of the coil spring 31 is supplied to the braking force of the wheel axle 11 braking device when no one is riding, so that the wheelchair 10 does not slip with the brake. When the cable 17 or the push-pull brake device 16 (i.e., the cable 19) has a pulling force, the spring force of the coil spring 31 can be offset, and the brake of the wheel axle 11 can be further released to resume the free sliding of the wheelchair 10. In addition, the pulling member 13 can also adopt the concentric force arm 32 shown in FIG. 9, and a ring spring 31 is also provided to achieve the same effect.

The wheelchair automatic braking device proposed by the invention can ensure that the wheelchair user is locked in the wheelchair when the wheelchair user is not properly seated on the wheelchair cushion, thereby reducing the risk of the wheelchair user accidentally slipping down and down the wheelchair, and does not damage Foldable function of manual wheelchair. Many wheelchair users use wheelchairs as walking aids. They stand behind the wheelchairs and use the handrails as support. They push the wheelchairs forward, but the wheelchair users have different disabilities and do not have the ability to implement wheelchairs. In the same way, many accidents occur because the user accidentally slips out of the wheelchair when the user walks in a wheelchair, causing the user to fall and fall. The present invention is provided with a brake release device on the push armrest. When the user wants to push the wheelchair to move forward, the push release device can return to the free sliding state of the wheelchair, and the advancement can be carried out. When the user has insufficient control and the wheelchair slides forward, the user's palm can't press the brake release device, the wheelchair stops immediately, which can prevent the wheelchair from slipping out and causing the fall accident. In addition, when the caregiver wants to implement the wheelchair, Press the brake release device on the push armrest for easy implementation.

Figure 10 is a schematic illustration of a wheelchair device 50 having a wheelchair user attitude detection and alerting function in accordance with the present invention. The cushion 51 and the back pad 52 are evenly distributed or partially reinforced in a matrix or non-matrix manner. The sensor 53 can be a pressure sensor or a switch sensor, or two senses. The detector is used at the same time. The corresponding data processing unit 60 can include a data input interface 61. If it is a pressure sensor, the data input interface 61 needs to include an analog/digital conversion interface to convert the analog sense voltage value into a digital signal, so that the microprocessor 62 can use the processing. If it is a switch sensor, it corresponds to the digital input interface, and directly reads the potential of the switch, and can be sent to the microprocessor 62 for processing. The sensor 53 of the armrest pad 54 can also be a pressure sensor or a switch sensor for sensing whether the wheelchair user has pressed the armrest, whether there is an intention to get up and sit down. The handbrake sensor 55 is a switch sensor for sensing whether the wheelchair hand brake is locked. Using the information of the cushion 51, the back pad 52, the armrest pad 54, and the handcart sensor 55 obtained, the action of the wheelchair user and the posture of the wheelchair can be derived. The user interface 63 is used to input the user input data into the interface 61. For example, the data processing unit 60 is configured to receive digital or analog data. In addition, the data processing unit 60 may further include a wireless transmission module 64 and a warning module 65. The microprocessor 62 processes the sensing data of the wheelchair sensor 53 and converts it into information such as the posture and motion of the wheelchair user, and stores the information in a near-end manner, or transmits it to the remote through the wireless communication module 64. The server is further stored and analyzed. If the sensed state of use and the tendency of the wheelchair are sensed, there is a high risk of accidents. The warning module 65 will issue a warning through sound, light and vibration to remind the user and the caregiver to pay attention to it. The wireless communication module 64 sends a warning message to the remote server and the caregiver to use the mobile device for further processing and storage. With today's wireless technology, the handset can also be used as an embodiment of the wireless transmission module 64.

Figure 11 shows the software flow planning in the data processor 60. The dangerous use actions we focus on are "sit down unlocked" and "get up unlocked". Many wheelchair users have poor control and responsiveness due to limbs. For wheelchair users of the silver-haired family, the effect of wheelchair-based teaching is also difficult to achieve. Therefore, many wheelchair users do not lock the handcuffs when they get up or sit down, causing the wheelchair to accidentally slide open and cause a fall accident. . Therefore, by using the pressure distribution of the seat cushion 51 and the back pad 53 or the change of the hip type back profile, and the pressure change of the armrest pad 54, it can be inferred whether the wheelchair user has a tendency to get up and sit down, if there is a body up and a seat down. The tendency of the action, and then check the state of the handbrake, whether the handcarts on the left and right sides are indeed locked. If the user gets up and sits in the middle, the handcuff of the wheelchair is not surely locked, and the warning module 65 of the data processing unit 60 is A warning message such as sound, light, and vibration will be issued to remind the wheelchair user to lock the handcart, and at the same time, the wireless communication module 64 transmits a warning message to notify the caregiver to go to the auxiliary treatment, so as to avoid getting up and sitting down. The accident that the user fell because the wheelchair slipped out. Table 1 shows a corresponding embodiment of the sensing data and corresponding posture of the present invention.

In addition, when the user is riding in the wheelchair, the data processing unit 60 starts monitoring the pressure distribution of the wheelchair cushion 51 and the back pad 52 and the hip-shaped back profile to determine whether the wheelchair user's riding posture is partially oppressed or dangerous. In the sitting position, or other problematic postures of interest, if there is a dangerous posture of interest, the warning module 65 of the data processing unit 60 will emit a warning manner such as sound, light, and vibration to remind the wheelchair user to pay attention to the riding posture, and these The sensed posture information of the wheelchair user will be notified to the caregiver through the wireless transmission module 64 and stored in the care service server for further analysis and processing. Table 2 shows a corresponding embodiment of the sensing data of the present invention and the corresponding bad sitting posture.

By combining the above two devices, a wheelchair device with automatic braking device and user attitude detection and warning can be constructed, and an automatic braking device can be actively used to prevent the wheelchair from involuntarily sliding before the user is seated properly, and Passively sense the user's posture and movement, and use the warning for improper wheelchair use to remind the user to improve the way of use, or remind the caregiver to go to the treatment to avoid danger and accident, so the active and passive double safety It is guaranteed to effectively reduce the accident of wheelchair use. When one of the two independent systems is unable to function, it can still provide backup security. For example, when the user's attitude sensing and warning device are disabled, the automatic braking device is still It can be used faithfully to prevent wheelchair users from falling accidents; on the contrary, if the automatic braking device is disabled, the user's improper posture and usage can still be transmitted through the attitude detection and warning device, with sound, light and vibration. Ways to remind users to avoid danger.

12 is a plan for a wheelchair care network system 80 of the present invention, including the aforementioned wheelchair device 50, wireless access point 84, server 81, user interface 82, and mobile device 83. The wheelchair device 50 transmits the posture of the wheelchair user and the warning message of the dangerous operation to the wireless access point 84 of the fixed point and the mobile device 83 used by the care service provider by wireless transmission. The wireless access point 84 then transmits the received data to the server 81 via the data transfer network for further processing. The processing includes statistical analysis of the wheelchair user's riding time, posture, and warning messages, and graphically displays the results of the analysis, so that the care provider can improve the provision of care services and strengthen the implementation of relevant safety and health education. Avoid chronic diseases caused by long-term wheelchair rides, such as pressure sores and limb deformation, as well as accidents caused by falling down and down the wheelchair. The care service provider can read the statistical analysis information in the server 81 through the user interface 82 (for example, a personal computer) or the mobile device 83, so that the necessary care service can be provided immediately. In one embodiment, the mobile device 83 includes a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or a pager. In fact, the mobile device 83 also belongs to one of the user interfaces 82 and is included therein. It is particularly worth mentioning that the emergency warning information is processed. After the wireless transmission module of the wheelchair data processing unit sends the warning message, in addition to the fixed wireless access point 84 receiving the data, the mobile device 83 used by the caregiver will also Synchronously receiving the warning message, so as to notify the caregiver of the caregiver within the wireless communication range, as soon as possible to deal with the alert situation, to avoid delays caused by the data transmission network and the care service server processing the relevant warning message, so that More rigorous care for caregivers, reducing the risk of danger and disease, and further reducing the risk of harm.

The invention is based on the needs of wheelchair use in the institutional care type to design a wheelchair care system, from the automatic braking device of the wheelchair, the seated sensing of the wheelchair user, the sensing of the wheelchair user motion, and the wheelchair data transmission network. The display device used by the wheelchair care server and the caregiver is to solve the urgent needs of the wheelchair-related care service, such as reducing the accident of using the wheelchair, reducing the compression and limb deformation caused by the long-term sitting wheelchair, and Key issues such as reducing the care load on caregivers.

The technical and technical features of the present invention have been disclosed as above, and those skilled in the art can still make various substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be construed as not limited by the scope of the invention, and the invention is intended to be

10. . . wheelchair

11. . . Wheel axle

12. . . Steel cable

13. . . Puller

14. . . cushion

15. . . Push the handrail

16. . . Manual brake device

17. . . Steel cable

18. . . Transition pulley

19. . . Steel cable

20. . . fixed point

twenty one. . . Rope

twenty two. . . Mesh fabric

30. . . pulley

31. . . Ring spring

32. . . Concentric arm

50. . . Wheelchair device

51. . . cushion

52. . . Back cushion

53. . . Sensor

54. . . Armrest pad

55. . . Hand brake sensor

60. . . Data processing unit

61. . . Data conversion interface

62. . . microprocessor

63. . . user interface

64. . . Wireless transmission module

65. . . Warning module

80. . . Wheelchair care network system

81. . . server

82. . . user interface

83. . . User mobile device

84. . . Wireless transmission device

40. . . Cushion weight sensing mechanism

1 to 4 are schematic structural views of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 to 7 show schematic structural views of a wheelchair according to another embodiment of the present invention;

8 and 9 are schematic views showing the pulling member of the wheelchair automatic braking device of the present invention;

Figure 10 shows a schematic view of a wheelchair device of the present invention;

Figure 11 is a schematic view showing the software flow planning of the wheelchair device of the present invention;

Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the wheelchair care network system of the present invention.

10. . . wheelchair

11. . . Wheel axle

12. . . Steel cable

13. . . Puller

14. . . cushion

15. . . Push the handrail

16. . . Manual brake device

17. . . Steel cable

18. . . Transition pulley

19. . . Steel cable

20. . . fixed point

40. . . Cushion weight sensing mechanism

Claims (15)

A wheelchair device comprising: a wheelchair comprising a seat cushion, a back pad and an armrest pad, at least one of the seat cushion, the back pad and the armrest pad is provided with a plurality of sensors; and a data processing unit for processing the plurality of senses The sensor detects the sensing data to analyze the posture and motion of the wheelchair user. The data processing unit includes: a data input interface for receiving sensing data of the sensor on the wheelchair; and a microprocessor for analyzing the feeling The measured data becomes the posture and motion information of the wheelchair user; wherein the correspondence between the sensing data and the posture and motion information of the wheelchair user includes at least one of the following: when the pressure sensing of the seat cushion, the back cushion and the armrest pad disappears, it is determined to be unmanned. When the front edge of the arm pad has pressure sensing and the front edge of the seat cushion has pressure sensing, it is determined to be ready to sit; when the rear edge of the seat cushion has pressure sensing and the back pad has pressure sensing, it is determined to be sitting posture; The cushion pressure sensing disappeared, the pressure sensing of the trailing edge of the seat cushion disappeared, and the front edge of the armrest pad was pressure-sensed, and it was determined to be ready to get up. The wheelchair device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a pressure sensor, a switch sensor or a pressure sensor, and a switch sensor a combination of the two. The wheelchair device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged in a matrix or non-matrix average spread or a localized density spread. The wheelchair device of claim 1, further comprising a hand brake sensor for sensing the state of the handbrake. The wheelchair device of claim 1, wherein the data processing unit comprises a wireless communication module that transmits the wheelchair user gesture and motion information to a remote server. The wheelchair device of claim 5, wherein the data input interface comprises an analog/digital conversion interface, and when the sensor is a pressure sensor, the sensing data of the analog signal is converted into a digital signal. The wheelchair device of claim 5, wherein the data processing unit further comprises a warning module, and the warning is issued if the sensed posture and motion of the wheelchair user are unexpectedly high risk. The wheelchair device of claim 7, wherein the alert comprises sound, light or vibration. A wheelchair care network system comprising: a wheelchair comprising a seat cushion, a back pad and an armrest pad, at least one of the seat cushion, the back pad and the armrest pad is provided with a plurality of sensors; and a data processing unit for processing the Sensing data detected by a plurality of sensors to analyze wheelchair user posture and motion information; a server for storing and processing the sensing data from the wheelchair; And at least one user interface, connected to the server, providing the caregiver to access the sensing data in the server; wherein the sensing data and the wheelchair user gesture and motion information correspond to at least one of the following: when the cushion The pressure sensing of the back pad and the armrest pad disappeared and was determined to be unmanned; when the front edge of the arm pad was pressure-sensed and the front edge of the seat cushion was pressure-sensed, it was determined to be ready to sit; when the back edge of the seat cushion was pressure-sensed and The back pad has pressure sensing and is determined to be in a sitting posture; and when the back pad pressure sensing disappears, the cushion back edge pressure sensing disappears, and the front edge of the arm pad has pressure sensing, it is determined to be ready to get up. The wheelchair care network system of claim 9, wherein the sensing data of the wheelchair is wirelessly transmitted to the server. The wheelchair care network system of claim 9, wherein the wheelchair further comprises the composition of the wheelchair of claim 1. The wheelchair care network system according to claim 9, wherein the sensing data includes a posture and an action of the wheelchair user, and a warning message. The wheelchair care network system of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises a computer. The wheelchair care network system of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises a mobile device. The wheelchair care network system of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, or a pager.