Wheel frame of driving wheel of a wheel chair including an ergometer including improved stabilization for increasing torque measurement of a user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856793-B2
Application number	US-201716092913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 2, 2016
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A wheel frame ( 16 a ) includes a cylindrical hub ( 16 c ) into which an axle ( 11 b ) is rotatably inserted, a six-axis force sensor ( 16 e ) having an insertion hole ( 16 e 1 ) into which the hub ( 16 c ) is inserted, and an outer flange ( 16 f ) extending radially outward from an input section ( 16 e 2 ) of the six-axis force sensor ( 16 e ), wherein a hand rim ( 17 ) is attached to the outer flange ( 16 f ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel frame for a driving wheel of a wheelchair, the wheel frame comprising:
a cylindrical hub into which an axle extending from a cage of the wheelchair is inserted, wherein the cylindrical hub is rotatably attached to the axle;
a six-axis force sensor having an insertion hole into which the hub is inserted; and
a first support member to which a hand rim of the wheelchair is attached, the first support member extending outward in a radial direction from a load input section of the six-axis force sensor.

2. The wheel frame according to claim 1 , further comprising a second support member extending outward in a radial direction from the hub, wherein
the first support member is attached to a radially inward portion of the six-axis force sensor, and
the second support member is attached to a radially outward portion of the six-axis force sensor.

3. The wheel frame according to claim 2 , wherein the second support member has an annular rim section on an outer peripheral surface thereof being fitted with a tire.

4. The wheel frame according to claim 1 , further comprising a second support member extending outward in the radial direction from an end of the hub, the end being proximal to the cage, wherein
the six-axis force sensor is inserted via an other end of the hub, the other end being opposite to the end of the hub proximal to the cage,
an inner diameter of the insertion hole of the six-axis force sensor is of a size allowing creation of a predetermined gap from an outer peripheral surface of the hub when the hub is inserted,
the first support member has a first mounting section projecting in a direction toward the cage,
the second support member has a second mounting section projecting in a direction opposite to the direction toward the cage, and
the six-axis force sensor is attached to the first support member via the first mounting section, and attached to the second support member via the second mounting section.

5. The wheel frame according to claim 1 , wherein
the insertion hole of the six-axis force sensor is a through hole extending through the six-axis force sensor, and
a length in an axial direction of the six-axis force sensor is formed to be shorter than a length in an axial direction of the hub.

6. The wheel frame according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second support member extending outward in a radial direction from the hub; and
a transmitter configured to transmit a result of detection by the six-axis force sensor to a receiver wirelessly connected thereto, wherein
the second support member is thinned in an axial direction, and
the transmitter is arranged at a thinned portion of the second support member.

7. A driving wheel comprising the wheel frame according to claim 1 .

8. A wheelchair comprising the driving wheel according to claim 7 .

9. A measurement system comprising:
a wheel-type moving vehicle including a wheel;
an ergometer;
a posture detector configured to detect a posture of a driver of the wheel-type moving vehicle; and
a computation device, wherein
the wheel including a hand rim configured to transmit a driving force input from the driver to an axle of the wheel and a six-axis force sensor configured to detect a multiaxial force applied to the axle,
the ergometer including a roller arranged to contact the wheel of the wheel-type moving vehicle and configured to rotate with a rotation of the wheel, and a rotation detector configured to detect a rotational state of the roller, and
the computation device being configured to estimate a joint torque or a muscular strength of the driver based on detection information from the six-axis force sensor of the wheel-type moving vehicle, detection information from the rotation detector of the ergometer, and detection information from the posture detector.

10. The measurement system according to claim 9 , wherein
the wheel-type moving vehicle is a wheelchair,
the wheel is a driving wheel,
a wheel frame of the driving wheel includes:
a cylindrical hub into which the axle extending from a cage of the wheelchair is inserted, the cylindrical hub being rotatably attached to the axle;
the six-axis force sensor having an insertion hole into which the hub is inserted; and
a first support member to which the hand rim is attached, the hand rim being a hand rim of the wheelchair, the first support member extending outward in a radial direction from a load input section of the six-axis force sensor.

11. The measurement system according to claim 9 , wherein the ergometer includes a motor configured to impart driving or braking force to the roller, and a flywheel connected to the roller, the flywheel being configured to generate a moment of inertia in a direction in which an influence due to a weight acting on the roller is reduced.

12. The measurement system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a measurement condition setting unit configured to set a measurement condition;
a measurement status detection unit configured to recognize a status of the ergometer;
a driving force detection unit configured to detect the driving force input by the driver to the wheel-type moving vehicle;
a posture recognition unit configured to recognize the posture of the driver; and
a driver information estimation unit configured to estimate the joint torque or the muscular strength of the driver.

13. The measurement system according to claim 9 , further comprising a monitor configured to display at least one of a measurement condition of the ergometer, a measurement status of the ergometer, the posture of the driver, a magnitude of the input by the driver, the joint torque of the driver, and the muscular strength of the driver.

14. The measurement system according to claim 13 , wherein the monitor includes a first monitor arranged at a position below a face of the driver when the driver is aboard the wheel-type moving vehicle and a second monitor arranged at a front side of the wheel-type moving vehicle.

15. The measurement system according to claim 9 , wherein the posture detector includes a camera configured to photograph the driver and a posture computation unit configured to calculate the posture of the driver based on an image captured by the camera.

16. The measurement system according to claim 9 , wherein the rotation detector is a torquemeter configured to measure at least either of a torque and a rotation speed of the roller.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gomi Hiroshi
• Sodeyama Yoshinao
• Takado Junji
• Uematsu Hiroshi
• Takenaka Toru

Classifications

• A61G5/02 Primary

  propelled by the patient or disabled person · CPC title

• A61B5/221 Primary

  Ergometry, e.g. by using bicycle type apparatus · CPC title

• G01L5/16

  for measuring several components of force · CPC title

• A61G5/1051

  Arrangements for steering · CPC title

• A63B22/06

  with {support elements performing a} rotating cycling movement, {i.e. a closed path movement}(support stands for bicycles A63B69/16; unicycles B62K1/00) · CPC title