CN111315338B

CN111315338B - Auxiliary device

Info

Publication number: CN111315338B
Application number: CN201880072630.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 野村英明; 中根伸幸; 野口刚裕; 清水聪志
Original assignee: Fuji Corp
Current assignee: Fuji Corp
Priority date: 2017-12-06
Filing date: 2018-10-04
Publication date: 2021-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-10-04
Also published as: CN111315338A; EP3721850A1; JP6889783B2; EP3721849A1; KR20200043478A; EP3721849B1; WO2019111514A1; KR102359173B1; KR20200043477A; JP6934535B2; CN111315337A; EP3721849A4; JPWO2019111356A1; SG11202004125YA; EP3721850B1; SG11202004127VA; KR102359172B1; JPWO2019111514A1; WO2019111356A1; CN111315337B

Abstract

The auxiliary device is provided with: a base station for putting feet of an assisted person; a support arm section provided on the base and capable of supporting a part of the body of the person to be assisted, the support arm section being capable of performing an operation in which a standing direction in which the person to be assisted stands or a sitting direction in which the person to be assisted sits serves as an operation direction; an actuator for driving the support arm; a link mechanism that transmits a driving force of the actuator to the support arm portion and allows a current position of the support arm portion driven by the actuator to change independently of a driving state of the actuator; and a damping mechanism that generates a resistance to at least one side of the movement of the support arm portion in the movement direction, wherein the assisting device assists the transfer movement of the person to be assisted.

Description

Auxiliary device

Technical Field

The present specification relates to an assisting apparatus for assisting a transfer operation of a person to be assisted.

Background

With the progress of the aging society, the demand for auxiliary devices is increasing. The assisting device generally moves a support portion supporting a part of the body of the person to be assisted by driving from an actuator. The introduction of the assisting device reduces the physical burden on the assisting person and the person to be assisted, and also alleviates the shortage of the hands of the nursing staff. As an example of the assisting device, there is a device that assists a transfer operation of an assisted person from a sitting posture. An example of a technique relating to such an assist device is disclosed in patent document 1.

The human body transfer device of patent document 1 includes a traveling unit equipped with wheels, a human body support unit that is located above the traveling unit and supports a person to be assisted, and a driving unit that drives the human body support unit in the height direction. Further, a telescopic actuator corresponding to the driving section is used in combination with the link mechanism, and the extending operation of the telescopic actuator is converted into the arc-shaped swinging operation of the support section. This makes it possible to suppress lumbago of the assistant and to transfer the assisted person easily and quickly.

The auxiliary robot of patent document 2 includes a lifting unit that moves linearly in the vertical direction with respect to a base, an arm provided to the lifting unit so as to be capable of swinging, and a support portion provided to a tip end of the arm. The lifting unit and the arm are driven by different actuators to perform two-stage operations. This makes it possible to cause the lifting unit and the arm to operate in cooperation with each other, thereby suppressing discomfort from the assistant.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-165313

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2017/060964

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in patent document 1, since the support portion swings only in an arc shape, it is not always comfortable for the person to be assisted. On the other hand, in patent document 2, since the lifting unit and the arm are operated by using two actuators, the transfer operation of the person to be assisted becomes smooth, and the comfort in use is improved. However, the use of two actuators leads to an increase in cost.

Therefore, it is conceivable to use one actuator to operate a plurality of components. However, in order to drive a plurality of components with one actuator, some link mechanism is required. In addition, a structure in which the human body supporting part can be freely swung has also been put into practical use in consideration of the convenience of the person to be assisted. If a degree of freedom is left in the operation of the assist device due to the combination of these techniques, an operation that is difficult to predict for the person to be assisted may occur. This causes the person to be assisted to feel uneasy or surprised about the movement that is difficult to predict, and the comfort of use is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an assisting apparatus that can suppress the progress of an operation of an apparatus and ensure good use comfort even when the operation is difficult for an assisted person to expect due to a degree of freedom left in the operation of the apparatus.

Means for solving the problems

The present specification discloses an assist device including: a base station for putting feet of an assisted person; a support arm section provided on the base and capable of supporting a part of the body of the person to be assisted, the support arm section being capable of performing an operation in which a standing direction in which the person to be assisted stands or a sitting direction in which the person to be assisted sits serves as an operation direction; an actuator for driving the support arm; a link mechanism that transmits a driving force of the actuator to the support arm portion and allows a current position of the support arm portion driven by the actuator to change independently of a driving state of the actuator; and a damping mechanism that generates a resistance to a movement of at least one side of the support arm portion in the movement direction, wherein the assisting device assists a transfer movement of the person to be assisted.

Effects of the invention

In the assisting apparatus disclosed in the present specification, there is a case where the current position of the support arm portion changes without depending on the driving state of the actuator, leaving a degree of freedom in the operation of the apparatus, and it is difficult for the person being assisted to expect. However, the damping mechanism generates resistance to an unexpected movement of at least one side of the support arm portion, and therefore, the movement of the support arm portion is suppressed. This makes the action difficult to predict slowly, so that the person to be assisted does not feel uneasy and is not surprised. Thus, good comfort of use of the auxiliary device can be ensured.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side partial sectional view showing an initial state in a case where the supporting device supports a transfer operation of a person to be supported.

Fig. 2 is a side partial sectional view showing a state in the middle of the transfer operation of the person to be assisted by the assisting device.

Fig. 3 is a side partial sectional view showing an end state in a case where the supporting device supports the transfer operation of the person to be supported.

Fig. 4 is a side view illustrating the structure of the damping mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the current position of the arm shown in fig. 2 changes to the starting position backward, independently of the driving state of the actuator.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an operating state of the damping mechanism corresponding to the state of fig. 5.

Detailed Description

1. Structure of the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment

The assist apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 to 3 are side partial sectional views showing the operation of the assisting apparatus 1 for assisting the subject M from the sitting posture to the transfer posture.

The supporting apparatus 1 supports transfer between two different places, for example, transfer between a bed and a wheelchair of a subject M and transfer between a wheelchair and a toilet. The support device 1 supports the trunk of the person M to be supported, and supports the transfer operation from the sitting posture to the transfer posture and the sitting operation from the transfer posture to the sitting posture. Here, the posture during transfer is a posture in which the buttocks are raised from the seat surface, and includes a standing posture and a stooping posture. That is, the posture during transfer includes a state in which the upper body is standing up, a state in which the upper body is bent forward, and the like. In addition, the supporting device 1 can transfer the supported person M in the posture during transfer when the two transfer places are separated.

The assist device 1 includes a base 2, an arm 3, a support portion 4, an actuator 5, a link mechanism 6, a damper mechanism 7, a control portion not shown, and the like. In fig. 1, the arrangement position of the damping mechanism 7 is shown by a broken line. In fig. 2 and 3, the damper mechanism 7 is not shown.

The base 2 is formed of a foot placing table 21, a rear wheel 23, a base rod 24, a lower leg rest 25, a mounting plate 26, a front wheel 28, and the like. The foot stand 21 is disposed substantially horizontally in proximity to the floor surface F. The foot rest 21 is a part on which the person M to be assisted places his or her feet. An actuator support portion 22 is provided upward at the center in the left-right direction on the front side of the upper surface of the foot rest 21. A pair of left and right rear wheels 23 are provided on the left and right of the rear side of the foot stand 21.

A pair of right and left base bars 24 are provided forward from the right and left sides of the front surface of the foot stand 21, respectively. The base rod 24 is bent upward from the front and then extends obliquely rearward. The lower leg abutment 25 is provided rearward at the upper portions of the two base bars 24. The lower leg rest 25 is located above the front portion of the foot platform 21. The lower leg abutment portion 25 is formed by a cushion member and can be contacted by the vicinity of the lower leg of the person M to be assisted.

The pair of left and right mounting plates 26 are fixed to positions on inner sides facing each other at positions slightly above the bent portion of the base rod 24 bent upward from the front. The mounting plate 26 extends forward from the base rod 24. Arm support bases 27 are provided on the upper portions of the pair of left and right mounting plates 26, respectively. A pair of left and right front wheels 28 are provided at the lower front portions of the pair of left and right mounting plates 26. The steering function of the front wheels 28 and the rear wheels 23 allows the assist device 1 to perform not only the straight movement and the turning movement but also the lateral movement and the pivot steering. The front wheels 28 have a lock function for restricting movement.

The arm 3 is formed of a rod-like member 31, a front cover member 36, an upper cover member 38, various components, etc., whose reference numerals are omitted. The rod 31 is a substantially U-shaped rod with the lower side open. Lower ends 32 of the rod-like members 31 on both sides are swingably supported by the arm support base 27 of the attachment plate 26. Thereby, the arm 3 swings in the front-rear direction with respect to the base 2 as an operation direction. The forward swing of the arm 3 corresponds to a standing direction in which the person M to be assisted stands up, and the backward swing corresponds to a sitting direction in which the person M to be assisted sits.

In order to limit the swing angle of the arm 3, a stopper mechanism with reference numerals omitted is provided near the arm support base 27. The rod-like member 31 extends upward from the left and right lower ends 32, extends while being bent rearward and obliquely upward in the middle, and is united with the upper portion in the rear. The overall shape of the arm 3 is constituted by an arm front portion 34 extending upward from the arm support base 27 and an arm upper portion 35 connected to an upper portion of the arm front portion 34 and extending obliquely upward rearward.

The front cover member 36 constitutes the arm front 34. The front cover member 36 is disposed at a distance from the front side of the rod member 31. The front cover member 36 is formed with both side surfaces bent back to partition an internal space. A battery, not shown, is housed in the internal space of the front cover member 36. The battery serves as a power source for the actuator 5 and the control unit.

The upper cover member 38 is formed to be continuous with the front cover member 36, and constitutes the arm upper portion 35. The upper cover member 38 is disposed close to the rod member 31. The upper cover member 38 is formed so as to be bent downward at both side surfaces, and defines an internal space. A link mechanism 6 is provided at the front lower side of the inner space of the upper cover member 38. Further, a support portion mounting seat 33 is provided on the rear upper side of the internal space.

The support portion 4 is formed including a trunk support portion 41 and a pair of left and right underarm support portions 45. The trunk support 41 is swingably supported by the support mount 33 of the arm upper portion 35. Thereby, the support portion 4 acts in a direction of swinging in the front-rear direction with respect to the arm 3. The forward swing of the support portion 4 corresponds to a standing direction in which the person M to be assisted stands up, and the backward swing corresponds to a sitting direction in which the person M to be assisted sits. The trunk support 41 has a handle 42. The handle 42 is formed in a substantially quadrangular frame shape. The handle 42 is a part to be gripped by the assistant M and also a part to be gripped by the assistant for moving the assisting apparatus 1.

The trunk support 41 is formed of a base plate 43, a trunk contact member 44, and the like. The substrate 43 is formed substantially in a rectangular shape using a plate material made of metal or resin and having high rigidity. The base plate 43 is provided with the handle 42, a portion attached to the support portion attachment seat 33, and a second link member 62 described later.

The trunk contact member 44 is formed larger than the substrate 43 using a flexible material, and is attached to the upper surface of the substrate 43. The trunk contact member 44 can have a two-layer structure including, for example, a top layer and a base layer. The surface layer can be formed of a low-resilience urethane foam, and the base layer can be formed of a low-combustibility urethane foam. The trunk support portion 41 can support the chest of the trunk, which is a part of the body of the person M to the vicinity of the abdomen.

A pair of left and right underarm supports 45 are attached to the left and right sides of the trunk support 41 near the chest. The underarm support 45 is formed in an L-shape bent at an obtuse angle. The underarm support 45 is formed of a core member 46 (see fig. 4), an outer peripheral member 47, and the like. The core member 46 is formed by bending a round bar or a tube made of metal or hard resin, for example.

The outer peripheral member 47 is formed in a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the core member 46 using a cushion material. The short linear portion of the armpit support portion 45 from the proximal end of the attachment side to the bending position serves as a shoulder receiving portion, and the long linear portion from the bending position to the distal end serves as an armpit entry portion. The shoulder receiving portion supports the front surface of the shoulder of the person M to be assisted. The underarm access portion is accessed to the underarms on both sides of the trunk of the person M to be assisted. The trunk support 41 and the underarm support 45 may be provided with a detachable cover made of cloth or leather.

The actuator 5 is a telescopic actuator, and is composed of a main body 51, a movable part 52, a motor 53, and the like. The body 51 is a large-diameter cylindrical member that is long in the vertical direction, and has an opening that opens upward. The lower end of the main body 51 is supported by the actuator support 22 of the base 2. The movable portion 52 is a vertically long, narrow, round rod-shaped member. The upper end of the movable portion 52 is connected to the first link member 61 of the link mechanism 6. The lower portion of the movable portion 52 is fitted into the opening of the main body 51.

The motor 53 is mounted on the front side of the lower portion of the main body 51. The motor 53 drives the extension operation and the contraction operation of the movable portion 52 by controlling the direction of the current flowing through a control portion, not shown. The movable portion 52 is driven by the motor 53 to extend and contract with respect to the main body portion 51. Instead of the motor 53, the actuator 5 may use another type of drive source such as a pressure drive source using hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure.

The actuator 5 performs a first extension operation of extending from the shortened length to a predetermined middle length, a second extension operation of extending from the middle length to the extended length, and a contraction operation of contracting from the extended length to the shortened length via the middle length. The stroke length of the first extension operation can be exemplified by 30mm, and the stroke length of the second extension operation can be exemplified by 60 mm.

The link mechanism 6 includes a first link member 61, a second link member 62, a regulating member 63, and the like. The first link member 61 is a member elongated in the front-rear direction having a support point 611, a front arm portion 612, and a rear arm portion 616. The support point 611 is disposed near the center of the arm upper portion 35. The support point 611 is swingably supported by a swing shaft of the arm 3. Thereby, the first link member 61 swings about the supporting point 611.

The front arm portion 612 extends forward from the support point 611. A connecting pin 613 is provided at a lower portion of the front arm portion 612 in the front. The connecting pin 613 connects the front arm portion 612 to the upper end of the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5. A restricting protrusion 614 is formed at an upper portion of the front arm portion 612 at the front. A damper engagement portion 615 is provided at the tip of the front arm portion 612. A damper mechanism 7 (described in detail later) is provided between the damper engagement portion 615 and the arm 3.

The rear arm portion 616 extends rearward from the support point 611. The engaging pin 617 is provided at the rear of the rear arm portion 616 so as to extend in the left-right direction. As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the engagement pin 617 engages with the second link member 62 in the counterclockwise direction, and presses the second link member 62 downward to swing the second link member 62.

The second link member 62 is fixed to the base plate 43 of the support portion 4 and extends forward. Thereby, the support portion 4 and the second link member 62 are integrally swung about the support portion mount 33. The restricting member 63 is fixed to a structural member in the front of the arm upper portion 35. The restriction protrusion 614 of the first link member 61 can abut against the restriction member 63.

The control unit, which is not shown, is composed of an operator, a control main body, and the like. The operator has an up button and a down button for operating the actuator 5. The operator is operated by an assistant. The control main body is configured using a computer device having a CPU and operating by software. The control main body controls the presence or absence of current and the direction of current flowing to the motor 53 of the actuator 5 based on the operation information of the up button and the down button.

2. Structure of damping mechanism 7

Next, the structure of the damping mechanism 7 will be described with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an original state before the damping mechanism 7 operates. In fig. 4 and fig. 6 appearing later, a part of the arm 3 is not shown. A damper support base 39 is provided at a lower portion of the rod member 31 constituting the arm 3. As described above, the damper engagement portion 615 is provided in the first link member 61 constituting the link mechanism 6. The damper mechanism 7 is provided so as to span between the arm 3 and the first link member 61.

Specifically, the damper mechanism 7 is a telescopic mechanism having a main body portion 71 and a movable portion 72. The main body 71 has a cylindrical shape with a large diameter. The main body 71 has a cylinder and an oil chamber opening upward. The cylinder and the oil chamber are formed to be oil-tight and filled with working oil. The cylinder and the oil chamber are communicated with each other through an oil passage, and the working oil flows in and out. Since the cross-sectional area of the oil passage is narrowed, resistance is generated by inflow and outflow of the hydraulic oil. The lower end of the body 71 is rotatably supported by the damper support base 39.

The movable portion 72 is formed in a small-diameter round bar shape. The upper end of the movable portion 72 is rotatably engaged with the damper engagement portion 615 of the first link member 61. The lower portion of the movable portion 72 is fitted into the cylinder of the main body portion 71. Thus, the movable portion 72 can perform an expansion and contraction operation with respect to the cylinder while maintaining the oil-tight state of the cylinder of the main body portion 71.

When the movable portion 72 extends from the main body portion 71, the hydraulic oil flows into the cylinder from the oil chamber, and resistance is generated. Conversely, when the movable portion 72 performs the shortening operation, the hydraulic oil flows out from the cylinder to the oil chamber, and resistance is generated. That is, the damper mechanism 7 is a bidirectional damper mechanism that generates a resistance in both extension and contraction directions. The magnitude of the resistance changes in proportion to the operating speed of the movable portion 72, and is substantially proportional to the operating speed of the movable portion 72.

In addition, the damper mechanism 7 also becomes a load of the actuator 5 in the normal assisting operation. However, since the operation is at a low speed in a normal state, the damping mechanism 7 is only a slight load. Therefore, the actuator 5 does not need to be increased in level of performance, and may be the same actuator as the case of the structure without the damping mechanism 7.

3. Assisting operation of the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment

Next, the assisting operation of the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the operation of assisting the person M to be assisted from the sitting posture to the transfer posture will be mainly described. The assistant first returns the actuator 5 to the shortened length, and sets the initial state shown in fig. 1. The first link member 61 is swung clockwise, and the second link member 62 is swung counterclockwise. A gap is provided between the restricting protrusion 614 of the first link member 61 and the restricting member 63.

Next, the assistor moves the assistive device 1 by gripping the grip 42, and brings the assistive device 1 close to the person M in the seated posture. The person M to be assisted enters the lower body into the area below the support portion 4, and places both feet on the foot placement table 21. The person M to be assisted obtains a stable posture by bringing a part of the lower leg into contact with the lower leg rest portion 25. Here, the second link member 62 can swing clockwise away from the engagement pin 617 of the first link member 61. That is, the support portion 4 is swingable forward. Therefore, the area below the support portion 4 can be enlarged, and the person M to be assisted can easily get in the lower body without feeling restricted.

Subsequently, the person M to be assisted leans forward to make surface contact with the trunk support 41 and leans against the underarm supports 45 under both the armpits. At this time, since the trunk support portion 41 swings to the standing direction (counterclockwise direction in fig. 1), the forward inclination angle of the trunk can be small. In addition, since the underarm support 45 is substantially horizontal or slightly rear-end-downward, the person M to be assisted can easily lean on the underarm support 45. The posture of the person M to be assisted at this time becomes the initial posture. The series of actions of the person M to be assisted may be assisted by the assisting person. In the initial posture, the buttocks of the person M to be assisted are positioned next to the seat surface. Therefore, the load of the person M to be assisted by the body weight is supported by the buttocks, and the person M to be assisted is in a relaxed posture.

Then, the assistant presses the up button of the operator to perform the assisting operation. The actuator 5 having started the first extension operation pushes the front arm portion 612 of the first link member 61 upward via the connecting pin 613. Thereby, the first link member 61 swings counterclockwise (see arrow a1 in fig. 1). The counterclockwise pivoting of the first link member 61 causes the engagement pin 617 to press and pivot the second link member 62.

The second link member 62 swings clockwise, and the support portion 4 swings forward (in the standing direction) (see arrow a2 in fig. 1). This operation continues until the actuator 5 extends to a predetermined halfway length, and the state shown in fig. 2 is obtained. At this time, the underarm support 45 has a downward front end, and therefore the rearward movement of the person M is restricted so as not to fall off the support 4. In the state of fig. 2, the restricting projection 614 abuts against the restricting member 63, and the swing of the first link member 61 is completed. Accordingly, the swing of the support portion 4 is also ended. Then, the hip of the person M to be assisted is in a state of being separated from the seating surface at a moment.

When the actuator 5 starts the second expansion operation, the first link member 61 is pressed against the arm 3 without being swung. The arm 3 is driven by the actuator 5 to swing clockwise forward (in the standing direction) (see arrow a3 in fig. 2). At the same time, the actuator 5 is tilted forward. In addition, the support portion 4 maintains a fixed posture with respect to the arm 3. This action continues until the end state of fig. 3. Thereby, the upper body of the person M to be assisted moves obliquely upward forward and further tilts forward. As a result, the hip of the person M to be assisted rises greatly from the seat surface, and the person to be assisted takes a posture at the time of transfer with the legs extended.

4. Operation and action of damping mechanism 7

Next, the operation and action of the damper mechanism 7 will be described. In the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the base 2, the arm 3, the actuator 5, and the first link member 61 constitute a four-link, and a degree of freedom of movement is provided. However, in a normal state, after the restricting projection 614 abuts against the restricting member 63, the abutting state is maintained, and therefore the shape of the four-link is stably maintained. However, when an external force in a direction to swing the arm 3 forward acts, the arm 3 freely swings forward (in the standing direction) and the shape of the four-link changes. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the current position of the arm 3 shown in fig. 2 changes to the upright position, independently of the driving state of the actuator 5.

The phenomenon of the change in shape of the four-link occurs, for example, when the person M to be assisted rides on the support 4 violently. In other words, depending on the direction and magnitude of the external force applied from the person M to be assisted, the arm 3 may swing freely in the standing direction. At this time, as shown in fig. 5, the abutting state between the restricting projection 614 and the restricting member 63 is eliminated. Further, since the second link member 62 is engaged with the engaging pin 617 of the first link member 61 only from one direction, the current position of the arm 3 cannot be prevented from changing in the standing direction and the change cannot be allowed.

As can be seen by comparing fig. 2 and 5, the swing position of the arm 3 changes the swing angle α in the rising direction, regardless of the driving state of the actuator 5. If the damping mechanism 7 is not provided, the arm 3 swiftly swings from the state of fig. 2 to the state of fig. 5. The rapid swing motion of the arm 3 is difficult to predict for the person M to be assisted. Therefore, the person M to be assisted feels uneasy or surprised about the unexpected swing motion of the arm 3, and the comfort in use is reduced.

Here, fig. 4 shows the original state of the damping mechanism 7 corresponding to the state of fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows an operating state of the damper mechanism 7 corresponding to the state of fig. 5. In the process of changing from the state of fig. 4 to the state of fig. 6, the movable portion 72 of the damper mechanism 7 performs a shortening operation. Therefore, the damping mechanism 7 acts as a resistance to the swinging motion of the arm 3 that changes from the state of fig. 2 to the state of fig. 5. This suppresses the progress of the swing motion of the arm 3 in the standing direction, in other words, the swing motion of the arm 3 is performed slowly.

Further, when the assisting operation of the fir-tree assisting device 1 is directed downward, that is, when the person M to be assisted is assisted from the posture at the time of transfer to the sitting posture, the assisting device 1 is moved to the state of fig. 1 from fig. 3 through fig. 2. In this case, although the contraction operation of the actuator 5 is performed, the state shown in fig. 5 is obtained when the person M to be assisted exerts force on the foot and tries to maintain the posture during the transfer. Then, when the person M to be assisted no longer exerts force on the foot, the state changes to the state in fig. 2. If the damping mechanism 7 is not provided, the arm 3 abruptly swings in the seating direction from the state of fig. 5 to the state of fig. 2.

In this case, the damping mechanism 7 suppresses the swing motion of the arm 3. That is, the damping mechanism 7 acts as a resistance to the swinging motion of the arm 3 that changes from the state of fig. 5 to the state of fig. 2. This suppresses the swinging motion of the arm 3 in the seating direction, and the swinging motion of the arm 3 is gradually performed. That is, the damping mechanism 7 generates resistance to the rapid swing motion of both sides in the motion direction of the arm 3.

The damping mechanism 7 may be a one-way type mechanism that generates a resistance in one of the extension direction and the contraction direction. The one-way damper mechanism generates resistance to a rapid swing motion in the side of the arm 3 having a high degree of importance in the motion direction. Further, another countermeasure or an omission of the countermeasure can be applied to the movement of the other side in the movement direction of the arm 3.

In the assisting apparatus 1 of the embodiment, there is a degree of freedom in the operation of the apparatus, and the current position of the arm 3 may change independently of the driving state of the actuator 5, which is difficult to predict for the person M to be assisted. Nevertheless, since the damping mechanism 7 generates resistance to an unexpected movement of at least one side of the arm 3, the movement of the arm 3 is suppressed. As a result, the action that is difficult to predict proceeds slowly, and the person M to be assisted does not feel uneasy and will not be surprised. Therefore, good use comfort of the assist device 1 can be ensured.

5. Variants and applications of the embodiments

In addition, the bidirectional damping mechanism 7 is more expensive than the unidirectional damping mechanism. Therefore, a modification in which a unidirectional damping mechanism that generates resistance in the extension direction and a unidirectional damping mechanism that generates resistance in the contraction direction are provided in parallel may be employed. The price of the one-way damping mechanism is less than half of that of the two-way damping mechanism 7. Therefore, in the modification, cost reduction can be achieved.

The damper mechanism may be a rotary mechanism interposed between swing shaft portions of the arm 3 for swingably supporting the first link member 61. The rotary-type damper mechanism is configured to generate a resistance force by friction between two members that rotate relative to each other, for example. The rotary damper mechanism generates resistance to the swinging of the first link member 61 with respect to the arm 3.

The damping mechanism 7 may be provided in a structure in which the arm 3 and the support portion 4 of the embodiment are integrated to support the arm portion and the support arm portion performs a lifting operation or a swinging operation in the front-rear direction. The actuator 5 is not limited to a telescopic actuator, and may be a rotary drive type actuator. Further, the structure of the link mechanism 6 can be appropriately modified. In addition, the present embodiment can be modified and applied in various ways.

Description of the reference numerals

1: the auxiliary device 2: base station 3: arm 39: damper support seat 4: support portion 5: the actuator 51: main body portion 52: the movable portion 53: the motor 6: the link mechanism 61: the first connecting rod member 614: the restricting protrusion 615: damper engagement portion 617: engagement pin 62: second link member 63: the regulating member 7: damping mechanism 71: main body portion 72: the movable part M: the person to be assisted.

Claims

1. An assist device is provided with:

a base station for putting feet of an assisted person;

a support arm section provided on the base and capable of supporting a part of the body of the person to be assisted, the support arm section being capable of performing an operation in which a standing direction in which the person to be assisted stands or a sitting direction in which the person to be assisted sits serves as an operation direction;

an actuator that drives the support arm portion;

a link mechanism that transmits a driving force of the actuator to the support arm portion and allows a current position of the support arm portion driven by the actuator to change independently of a driving state of the actuator; and

a damping mechanism that generates resistance to at least one side of the movement of the support arm portion in the movement direction,

the assisting device assists the transfer operation of the assisted person.

2. The assistance device according to claim 1,

the damping mechanism generates the resistance to the movement of both sides of the movement direction of the support arm portion.

3. The assistance device according to claim 1 or 2,

the support arm portion includes: an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction; and a support portion provided on the arm so as to be swingable in a front-rear direction while supporting a part of the body of the person to be assisted,

the actuator is a telescopic actuator which performs a first extension operation of extending from a shortened length to a predetermined middle length and a second extension operation of extending from the middle length to an extended length,

the link mechanism has:

a first link member provided swingably to the arm, swinging in the standing direction in accordance with the first extension operation of the telescopic actuator, and brought into pressure contact with the arm without swinging in accordance with the second extension operation of the telescopic actuator; and

and a second link member fixed to the support portion, pushed by the first link member to swing in the rising direction, and separated from the first link member by an external force applied from the person to be assisted, thereby allowing a current position of the arm to change in the rising direction.

4. The assistance device according to claim 3,

the damping mechanism is telescopically mounted between the arm and the first link member, and generates the resistance force corresponding to an operation speed at least one of during an extension operation and during a contraction operation.

5. The assistance device according to claim 3,

the damping mechanism is interposed between a swing shaft portion that the arm swingably supports the first link member, and generates the resistance to the swing of the first link member with respect to the arm.