JP2010162114A - Walking assisting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walking assisting device which enables even a patient who has difficulty in walking on his/her own or the like to easily lie down on a bed or a sit on a toilet seat without turning the walking assisting device keeping the state of arriving at the vicinity of the bet or the toilet seat using the walking assisting device. <P>SOLUTION: For the walking assisting device, a frame body to be roughly U-shaped in the plan view is formed by a connection part connecting one left or right frame part and the other frame part at the front lower part, a pair of left and right traveling wheels are provided on the front and rear at the lower part of the frame body, either front or rear traveling wheel is turned to a free wheel, and steering is made possible by a handle provided on the upper end of the frame part. By positioning at least the part near the center of the connection part below a pivoting part at which the traveling wheel is pivoted to the frame body, an operator (patient or the like) operating the walking assisting device can easily pass through the connection part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assistance device for use by hospitalized patients, rehabilitation patients, and care recipients at home during walking.

For example, in convalescent rehabilitation wards at hospitals, we are striving to prevent bedridden patients such as stroke patients, fractured patients, elderly people, etc. The walking assist device is used to walk independently so that the user can walk with his / her feet.
As a walking assist device used at such time, there is known a device in which a wheel is provided on a lower surface of a frame body formed in a substantially U shape in a plan view so that the vehicle can run (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

However, in the above conventional walking assist device, although it is possible to make a large turn by forward movement or free wheel, such as turning a corner or making a U-turn in a wide area, for example, it comes to the vicinity of the bed and swings the walking assist device there. It is difficult for the patient or the like who is difficult to walk independently to perform a pivot turn or spin turn as described above, and there is a problem that further care or assistance is required here.
These problems are not only when lying on the bed, but also when going to the urinal and sitting on the toilet seat.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-126023

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described problems, and even for patients who are difficult to walk on their own, the walking assist device is used and the walking assist device is not turned and remains in the vicinity of the bed or toilet seat. An object of the present invention is to provide a walking assistance device that can be easily laid down on a bed or seated on a toilet seat.

  In order to achieve the above object, a walking assistance device according to the present invention is a frame that is substantially U-shaped in plan view with a connecting portion that connects one of the left and right frame portions and the other frame portion at the front lower portion. A walking aid that consists of a main body, a pair of left and right running wheels at the front and back of the frame body, one of the front and rear running wheels as a free wheel, and a steering wheel provided at the top of the frame. An apparatus (patient or the like) operating the walking assist device by positioning at least a middle portion of the connecting portion below a pivot supporting portion that pivots the traveling wheel on the frame. It is characterized by being able to pass through easily.

According to the walking assist device of the present invention, at least the middle portion of the connecting portion that connects the left and right frame portions is configured to be lower by being positioned below the pivot portion that pivotally supports the traveling wheel on the frame. Therefore, the patient who operates using the walking assistance device can easily remove the connecting portion without turning the walking assistance device.
This makes it possible for patients who are difficult to walk independently to lie on the bed or sit on the toilet seat without using a caregiver while staying in the vicinity of the bed or toilet seat using the walking assist device. Can be provided.

1 is an overall perspective view of a walking assistance device according to the present invention. These are side views of the walking assistance apparatus concerning this invention. These are front views of the walking assistance apparatus concerning this invention. These are the rear views of the walking assistance apparatus concerning this invention. These are perspective views which show the use condition of the walking assistance apparatus concerning this invention.

  In the walking assistance device according to the present invention, it is preferable to provide auxiliary handles below the handles of the left and right frame portions in a direction different from the handles.

  In addition, a pair of left and right traveling wheels are provided at the front and rear of the lower part of the frame, and braking means is provided on one of the front and rear traveling wheels, and an operation lever for operating the braking means via the release wire is provided near the lower part of the handle. It is desirable that the operation lever is provided so as to be able to swing to the lock position, the walking position, and the braking position.

Hereinafter, the most preferred embodiment of the walking assistance device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is an overall perspective view of a walking assist device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the walking assist device, FIG. 3 is a front view of the walking assist device, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the walking assist device. 1 generally indicates a walking assist device.
This walking assist device 1 is used by patients who are difficult to walk independently, and is connected to the lower front portions of the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b by a connecting portion 3 so as to be substantially U-shaped in plan view. A frame body 4 is formed, and a pair of left and right traveling wheels 5 and 6 are provided at the front and rear of the lower part of the frame body 4.
The front and rear as well as the left and right referred to in the present invention are such that the direction of travel (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) when walking using this walking assist device 1 is the front, the B direction is the rear, the C direction perpendicular to this is the right, Left.

Each of the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b is formed of a metal pipe in a triangular shape with a front inclined side protruding in the vertical direction in a side view, and a portion closer to the tip is formed in the upward protruding portion 2c. A handle forming pipe 9 which is bent substantially horizontally and has a grip rubber 7 attached to a tip portion of the horizontal portion to form a handle 8 is internally fitted and fixed by a stopper 10.
The height of the handle 8 can be adjusted by operating the stopper 10 to raise and lower the handle forming pipe 9.

Of the traveling wheels 5 and 6 provided at the front and rear of each frame portion 2a and 2b, the traveling wheels 5 and 5 provided at the front are supported by a pivot 11 that protrudes laterally from the frame portions 2a and 2b. The free wheel has a caster angle from the pivot shaft 12.
Further, the rear traveling wheels 6 and 6 are provided with a wheel contact piece 13 pivotally supported by the frame portions 2a and 2b so that the wheel contact piece 13 is always separated from the traveling wheels 6 and 6. A braking means 15 comprising a coil spring 14 is provided.
The brake means 15 is operated in a direction in which the wheel contact piece 13 contacts and separates from the traveling wheels 6 and 6 via the release wire 17 when an operation lever 16 provided below the handle 8 is operated. It has become so.

A casing 18 is attached to the operation lever 16 in the vicinity of the handle 8 of the handle forming pipe 9, and the operation lever 16 is selected from the casing 18 in three positions of a walking position F, a braking position E, and a locking position G and is rocked. It is pivoted so that it can move (see FIG. 2).
The swing mechanism of the operation lever 16 to the walking position F, the braking position G, and the locking position E is the mechanism described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-193099 previously proposed by the present applicant. Although the detailed description is omitted since it is substantially the same, at the walking position F of the operating lever 16, the wheel contact piece 13 is separated from the traveling wheels 6 and 6, and the operating lever 16 is swung down. When held by E, the wheel contact piece 13 bites into the tire portion 19 on the outer peripheral surface of the traveling wheels 6 and 6 via the release wire 17, and the traveling wheels 6 and 6 are held in a locked state. Is done.
Further, when the operation lever 16 is operated to the upper braking position G, the wheel contact piece 13 contacts the tire portion 19 on the outer peripheral surface of the traveling wheels 6 and 6 via the release wire 17 and the traveling wheels 6 and 6. It is comprised so that it may be in the state which applied what is called a brake.

The connecting portion 3 that connects the lower front portions of the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b is formed in a square U shape that spreads upward in a front view by a metal pipe, and the upper end portion is an inclined side portion on the front side of the frame portions 2a and 2b. The intermediate height position portion is welded to the intermediate portion between the front corner 2e and the bottom 2f of the triangular frame portions 2a and 2b via the stay 20.
Thus, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the height H1 of the intermediate portion 3a of the connecting portion 3 having a front view angle U-shape attached over the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b is a traveling wheel (universal wheel). ) It is lower than the height H2 of the pivot portion 11 of 5.5.

Incidentally, in the barrier-free floor surface 21, the height H1 from the floor surface 21 to the upper surface of the intermediate part 3a of the connection part 3 is further lowered by bringing the bottom surface of the intermediate part 3a of the connection part 3 close to the floor surface 21. be able to.
Furthermore, the height H1 from the floor surface 21 to the upper surface of the intermediate part 3a of the connection part 3 can be made lower by making the shape of the pipe of the connection part 3 into an ellipse or an ellipse.
Reference numeral 22 in the drawing denotes an auxiliary handle attached to the inclined side portion 2d on the front side of the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b in a direction different from that of the handle 8, that is, in a state of protruding forward. -It is provided at a substantially middle height position between the bottom 2f of 2b and the handle 8.

The procedure for using the walking assist device 1 according to the present invention configured as described above will be described below.
A patient or the like is always prepared and placed near a bed (not shown) that wakes up so that the walking assist device 1 can be used at any time. At this time, the operation lever 16 is set to the lock position E.
Then, for example, when walking for erection, a standing posture is obtained in which the user walks up from the bed, holds the handle 8 with both hands, and walks with the walking assist device 1 as a walking stick.
Next, after the operating lever 16 is moved from the lock position E to the walking position F so that the traveling wheel 6 can be rotated, the patient or the like faces in the vicinity of the toilet seat (not shown) with the walking assist device 1 used as a walking stick. Walk to the state.

When facing the toilet seat, the operation lever 16 is set to the lock position E and the walking assist device is fixed.
Thereafter, the patient or the like passes through the intermediate portion 3a of the connecting portion 3 while inverting the body when the hand holding the handle 8 is moved to the auxiliary handle 16 one by one, as shown in FIG. Turn backwards and sit slowly on the toilet seat.

When the addition is finished, the procedure returns to the walking assistance device 1 in the reverse procedure.
That is, the patient or the like lifts up the intermediate handle 3a of the connecting portion 3 while inverting the body when the hand gripping the auxiliary handle 22 is raised to the handle 8 one by one while standing on the toilet seat. It passes through the conventional posture of walking and moves the operation lever 16 from the lock position E to the walking position F.
Then, the walking assist device 1 moves backward so as to be able to turn, makes a U-turn while advancing the walking assist device 1 using this interval, and then walks to the bed.

When arriving at the bed, when the hand holding the handle 8 in the manner of sitting on the toilet seat described above is moved to the auxiliary handle 16 one by one, the body is inverted while passing through the intermediate portion 3a of the connecting portion 3, as shown in FIG. As you can see, it ’s the reverse of the past, and you sit in bed slowly.
Thus, a patient or the like sitting on the bed sets the operation lever 16 from the lock position E to the walking position F, reverses the light walking assist device 1 in the sky, and then sets the operation lever 16 to the lock position E to prepare for the next use. .

In the above embodiment, the frame body 4 of the walking assist device 1 is connected to the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b and the lower front portion thereof by the connecting portion 3 with the intermediate portion 3 lowered. Not limited to such a structure, the connecting portion 3 and the left and right frame portions 2a and 2b can be integrally formed by bending.
In short, the present invention can be implemented as long as the frame body 4 is formed in a U shape in plan view.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Walking assistance apparatus 2a * 2b ... Frame part 3 ... Connection part 3a ... Intermediate | middle part 4 ... Frame main body 5.6 ... Running wheel 8 ... Handle 11 ... Pivoting part 15 ... braking means 22 ... auxiliary handle

Claims (4)

  A frame main body that is substantially U-shaped in plan view is formed by a connecting portion that connects one of the left and right frame portions and the other frame portion at the front lower portion, and a pair of left and right traveling wheels at the lower portion of the frame main body Is a walking assist device that can be steered by a handle provided at the upper end of the frame portion, with either one of the front and rear traveling wheels being a free wheel, and traveling at least in the middle portion of the connecting portion. A walking assist device characterized in that an operator operating the walking assist device can easily pass through the connecting portion by positioning the wheel below a pivot supporting portion that pivots on the frame body.   The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein auxiliary handles are provided below the handles of the left and right frame portions in a direction different from the handles.   A pair of left and right traveling wheels are provided at the front and rear of the lower part of the frame body, braking means is provided on one of the front and rear traveling wheels, and an operating lever for operating the braking means via the release wire is provided near the lower part of the handle. The walking assist device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The walking assist device according to claim 3, wherein the operation lever is configured to be swingable to a lock position, a traveling position, and a braking position.

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