CN114557834B

CN114557834B - Auxiliary device and auxiliary method

Info

Publication number: CN114557834B
Application number: CN202210070566.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 野村英明; 野口刚裕; 清水聪志
Original assignee: Fuji Corp
Current assignee: Fuji Corp
Priority date: 2017-03-14
Filing date: 2017-12-06
Publication date: 2023-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-06
Also published as: JPWO2018167856A1; SG11201908144QA; WO2018168112A1; AU2017404355B2; CN110381907B; EP3597165A4; WO2018167856A1; EP3597165A1; CN110381907A; JPWO2018168112A1; JP6985459B2; AU2017404355A1; CN114557834A; JP7176083B2; JP6714766B2; EP3597165B1; JP2020157082A; JP2022020848A; JP6957600B2

Abstract

The application provides an assisting device and an assisting method for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person. An assist device of the present application assists a transfer operation of an assisted person, and includes: a base station; an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; a support unit which supports a part of the body of the assisted person and is provided on the arm so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; an armpit supporting part which is arranged on the supporting part and supports the armpit of the assisted person; an actuator having a main body portion provided on the base so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction and a movable portion extending and contracting from the main body portion; and a link mechanism for swinging the support portion forward relative to the arm by a first operation of the movable portion extending from the shortened position to a predetermined intermediate position, thereby lowering the front portion of the underarm support portion and restricting rearward movement of the assisted person.

Description

Auxiliary device and auxiliary method

The application is a divisional application of the application with the name of 'auxiliary device' of which the international application date is 2017, 12, 6, 201780087965.0 and PCT/JP 2017/043839.

Technical Field

The present description relates to an assisting apparatus and an assisting method for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person.

Background

With the development of the advanced society, the demand for auxiliary devices is increasing. The assist device generally moves a support portion on which a part of the body of the assisted person is supported by driving from an actuator. By introducing the auxiliary device, the physical burden of the auxiliary person and the assisted person is reduced, and the hand deficiency of the nursing staff is also relieved. As an example of the assisting device, there is a device that assists a transfer operation of an assisted person from a sitting posture. Patent documents 1 and 2 disclose technical examples of such auxiliary devices.

The human body transfer device of patent document 1 includes: the driving device comprises a running part provided with wheels, a supporting part positioned at the upper part of the running part and used for supporting an assisted person, and a driving part used for driving the human body supporting part along the height direction. Further, the support portion swings in an arc shape by driving from a driving portion corresponding to the actuator. This makes it possible to easily and rapidly transfer the auxiliary subject while suppressing the lumbago of the auxiliary subject.

The auxiliary robot of patent document 2 includes a lifting portion that moves linearly in the up-down direction with respect to the base, an arm that is swingably provided to the lifting portion, and a support portion that is provided at the tip of the arm. The lifting unit and the arm are driven by respective actuators to perform two-stage operations. This allows the lifting unit and the arm to operate in unison, thereby suppressing uncomfortable feeling from being given to the assisted person.

Prior art literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication 2016-165313

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2017/060964

Disclosure of Invention

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

In the present specification, it is an object to provide an assist device that operates a plurality of members using one actuator and improves the comfort of use for the assisted user.

Means for solving the problems

Disclosed is an assist device for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person, which is provided with: a base station; an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; a support unit which supports a part of the body of the assisted person and is provided on the arm so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; an actuator having a main body portion provided on the base so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction and a movable portion extending and contracting from the main body portion; and a link mechanism including a first link member swingably provided to the arm and connected to the movable portion, and a second link member fixedly provided to the support portion and engaged with the first link member, wherein the link mechanism transmits a first motion of extending the movable portion from a shortened position to a predetermined intermediate position to a forward swing of the support portion, and transmits a second motion of extending the movable portion from the intermediate position to an extended position to a forward swing of the arm.

Effects of the application

According to the assist device disclosed in the present specification, the forward swing of the support portion and the forward swing of the arm can be driven by one actuator. This makes the transfer operation of the assisted person smooth, and improves the comfort of use. In addition, the cost is low compared with the prior art using two actuators.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary device according to the embodiment as seen obliquely from the rear.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing an initial state in the case where the assist device assists the transfer operation of the assisted person.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in the middle of the case where the assist device assists the transfer operation of the assisted person.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing a final stage state in the case where the assisting apparatus assists the transfer operation of the assisted subject M.

Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism, and corresponds to an initial state of the auxiliary device.

Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism, and corresponds to a state in the middle of the auxiliary device.

Fig. 7 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the structure of the arm regulating mechanism, and corresponds to an initial state of the auxiliary device.

Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the arm regulating mechanism, and corresponds to a state in the middle of the auxiliary device.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the arm as seen obliquely from above.

Fig. 10 is a side sectional view illustrating an unexpected swinging motion of the arm, showing a state of a halfway position of the movable portion.

Detailed Description

1. The structure of the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment

The auxiliary device 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 10. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary device 1 according to the embodiment as seen obliquely from the rear. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing an initial state in the case where the assist device 1 assists the transfer operation of the assisted subject M. Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in the middle of the case where the assisting apparatus 1 assists the transfer operation of the assisted subject M. Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing a final stage state in the case where the assisting apparatus 1 assists the transfer operation of the assisted subject M.

The assist device 1 assists, for example, transfer between two different places such as transfer between the bed and wheelchair of the assisted person M and transfer between the wheelchair and toilet stool. The support device 1 supports the trunk of the person to be supported M, and supports the transfer operation from the sitting posture to the transfer posture and the seating operation from the transfer posture to the sitting posture. The transfer posture herein includes a standing posture and a bending posture, and the posture is a posture in which the buttocks are lifted from the seating surface. That is, the transfer posture includes a state in which the upper body is raised, a state in which the upper body is bent forward, and the like. The assist device 1 can transfer the assisted subject M in the transfer posture when the two places of transfer are far apart.

The assist device 1 includes a base 2, an arm 3, a support 4, an actuator 5, a link mechanism 6, an arm restricting mechanism 7, a control unit not shown, and the like. The base 2 is formed of a foot mount 21, a rear wheel 23, a base lever 24, a shank abutment 25, an attachment plate 26, a front wheel 28, and the like. The foot placement table 21 is disposed substantially horizontally near the floor surface F. An actuator support portion 22 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the foot placement table 21 so as to protrude upward. A pair of left and right rear wheels 23 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear side of the foot placement table 21.

The pair of right and left base levers 24 are provided frontward from the right and left of the front surface of the foot placement table 21. The abutment lever 24 extends slightly obliquely rearward after being bent upward from the front. The lower leg abutment 25 is provided rearward on the upper portions of the two abutment bars 24. The lower leg abutting portion 25 is located above the foot placement table 21 at the front. The lower leg abutting portion 25 is formed of a cushioning material, and the vicinity of the lower leg of the assisted subject M can be brought into contact with the lower leg abutting portion 25.

A pair of left and right mounting plates 26 are fixedly provided at positions slightly above and inward of the bending portion bending upward from the front of the base lever 24. The mounting plate 26 extends forward from the abutment bar 24. Arm support seats 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 assist device 1 can move not only straight but also in a steering direction, and can also move laterally and be steered in place by the steering function of the front wheels 28 and the rear wheels 23. The front wheel 28 also has 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 structural members omitted from reference numerals, and the like. The rod-shaped member 31 is a substantially U-shaped rod-shaped member with its lower side opened. The lower ends 32 of both sides of the rod-like member 31 are swingably supported by the arm support base 27 of the mounting plate 26. Thus, the arm 3 can swing in the front-rear direction with reference to the base 2.

In order to limit the swing angle of the arm 3, a stopper mechanism omitted from reference numerals is provided near the arm support base 27. The rod-like member 31 extends upward from the left and right lower ends 32, extends obliquely upward rearward in the middle, and is integrated with the upper part rearward. The arm 3 has an overall shape including 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 folded back to define an internal space. The battery 37 is housed in the inner space of the front cover member 36. The battery 37 is 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 near the upper side of the rod member 31. The upper cover member 38 is formed with both side surfaces bent downward to define an inner space. An arm restricting mechanism 7, a link mechanism 6, and a support portion mount 33 are provided in this order from the front lower side to the rear upper side of the inner space of the upper cover member 38. In fig. 1, the upper cover member 38 is not shown.

The support portion 4 includes 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 35. Thus, the support portion 4 can swing in the front-rear direction with reference to the arm 3. The trunk support 41 has a handle 42. The handle 42 is formed in a substantially square frame shape. The handle 42 is a portion gripped by the assisting person M, and is also a portion gripped by the assisting person for moving the assisting device 1.

The trunk support 41 is formed of a bottom plate 43 (see fig. 5), a trunk contact member 44, and the like. The bottom plate 43 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape using a metal or resin plate material having a relatively high rigidity. The bottom plate 43 is provided with the handle 42, a portion to be attached to the support portion attaching seat 33, and a second link member 62 described later.

The trunk contact member 44 is formed using a flexible material larger than the bottom plate 43, and is attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 43. The trunk contact member 44 may have a two-layer structure including a top layer and a bottom layer, for example. As the material for forming the top layer, polyurethane foam having low reverse elasticity can be exemplified, and as the material for forming the bottom layer, polyurethane foam having low combustibility can be exemplified. The torso support 41 supports a portion of the body of the assisted subject M from the chest of the torso to around the abdomen.

The pair of right and left armpit supporting portions 45 are attached to the chest portions on the right and left sides of the trunk supporting portion 41. The underarm support portion 45 is formed in an L shape bent at an obtuse angle. The underarm support portion 45 is formed of a core member 46 (see fig. 5), an outer peripheral member 47, and the like. The core member 46 is formed by bending a round rod or tube made of metal or hard resin into an L-shape, for example.

The outer peripheral member 47 is formed in a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the core member 46 using a cushioning material. The shorter straight portion from the base end of the mounting side of the underarm support portion 45 to the bent position is a shoulder receiving portion, and the longer straight portion from the bent position to the tip end is an underarm entering portion. The shoulder receiving portion supports the front surface of the shoulder of the assisted person M. The armpit entry portion enters the armpits on both sides of the trunk of the assisted subject M. The trunk support 41 and the armpit support 45 may be provided with cloth or leather removable covers.

The actuator 5 is constituted by a main body 51, a movable portion 52, a motor 53, and the like. The main body 51 is supported by the actuator support 22 of the base 2 so as to be tiltable. Thereby, the actuator 5 is tilted in the front-rear direction. The movable portion 52 extends and contracts from the main body portion 51. Specifically, the movable portion 52 extends from the shortened position to the extended position via a predetermined intermediate position, or contracts in the opposite direction. The distance that the movable portion 52 extends from the shortened position to the intermediate position is a first operation, and the distance that the movable portion 52 extends from the intermediate position to the extended position is a second operation.

The stroke length of the first operation may be 30mm, and the stroke length of the second operation may be 60mm. The tip of the movable portion 52 is connected to a connecting pin 613 of the link mechanism 6 described later. The motor 53 is provided in the main body 51. The motor 53 controls the direction of the current flowing through a control unit, not shown, and drives the telescopic operation of the movable unit 52. Instead of the motor 53, other types of driving sources such as a pressure driving source using hydraulic pressure or air pressure may be used.

The link mechanism 6 is constituted by a first link member 61, a second link member 62, a regulating member 63, and the like. Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism 6, and corresponds to the initial state of the assist device 1. Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the link mechanism 6, and corresponds to a state in the middle of the auxiliary device 1.

The first link member 61 is an elongated member 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. And, the supporting point 611 is swingably supported by the structural members 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 connection pin 613 is provided at a front lower portion of the front arm portion 612. The connecting pin 613 connects the front arm portion 612 and the front end of the movable portion 52. A restricting projection 614 is formed on the front upper portion of the front arm portion 612. The rear arm portion 616 extends rearward from the support point 611. The engagement pin 617 is provided to extend in the left-right direction at the rear of the rear arm 616. The engagement pin 617 engages with the second link member 62 from the counterclockwise direction in fig. 5 to push the second link member 62.

The second link member 62 is fixedly provided on the bottom plate 43 of the support portion 4. Thereby, the support portion 4 and the second link member 62 integrally swing around the support portion mount 33. The restricting member 63 is fixed to a structure at the front of the arm upper portion 35. The regulating projection 614 of the first link member 61 can abut against the regulating member 63.

In the initial state shown in fig. 5, the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 is in the shortened position. The first link member 61 is swung clockwise, and the second link member is swung counterclockwise. There is a gap between the restriction protrusion 614 of the first link member 61 and the restriction member 63. The movable portion 52 having started the first operation extends as indicated by arrow A1. Then, the front arm portion 612 of the first link member 61 is pushed via the connection pin 613. Thereby, the first link member 61 swings counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow A2.

The engagement pin 617 of the rear arm portion 616 drives the second link member 62 to swing by the counterclockwise swing of the first link member 61. The second link member 62 swings clockwise as indicated by arrow A3, and the support portion 4 swings forward as indicated by arrow A4. That is, the link mechanism 6 transmits the first operation of extending the movable portion 52 from the shortened position to the predetermined intermediate position as the forward swing of the support portion 4. This operation is continued until the movable portion 52 extends to a predetermined intermediate position, and the state shown in fig. 6 is reached.

In the intermediate state shown in fig. 6, the regulating projection 614 of the first link member 61 is just in contact with the regulating member 63. Thereby, further swinging of the first link member 61 is restricted. Then, the movable portion 52 having started the second operation is extended as indicated by arrow A5. Then, the front arm portion 612 of the first link member 61 directly transmits the second motion of the movable portion 52 to the arm 3. As a result, the arm 3 swings forward about the arm support base 27 as indicated by arrow A6. With the progress of the swing of the arm 3, the actuator 5 is tilted forward as indicated by an arrow A7. That is, the link mechanism 6 transmits the second motion of extending the movable portion 52 from the intermediate position to the extended position as the forward swing of the arm 3.

The arm regulating mechanism 7 is constituted by a regulating guide member 71, a biasing member 75, and the like. Fig. 7 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the structure of the arm regulating mechanism 7, and corresponds to an initial state of the assist device 1. Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the structure and operation of the arm regulating mechanism 7, and corresponds to a state in the middle of the assist device 1.

The restricting guide 71 has a support point 72 at one end on the front upper side and a biasing point 73 at the other end on the rear lower side. The restriction guide member 71 further has a long hole 74 extending in the oblique direction between the support point 72 and the urging point 73. The support point 72 is disposed at a predetermined position 3A near the upper portion of the arm front 34, and is swingably supported by a structural member. The long hole 74 accommodates the connection pin 613 so as to be movable, in other words, the tip of the movable portion 52 so as to be movable.

As the urging member 75, for example, a coil spring can be used. One end 751 of the urging member 75 on the rear upper side is locked at the upper position 3B of the arm 3. The upper position 3B of the arm 3 is located above and rearward of the predetermined position 3A. The other end 752 of the front lower side of the urging member 75 is locked to the urging point 73 of the restricting guide 71. The urging member 75 urges the upper position 3B of the arm 3 in a direction approaching the restriction guide 71 as indicated by an arrow F1. In other words, the urging member 75 is urged in a direction to bring the upper position 3B of the arm 3 closer to the movable portion 52.

In the initial state shown in fig. 7, the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 is in the shortened position. At this time, the connection pin 613 is located at the rear lower end of the long hole 74. Here, when the movable portion 52 starts the first operation, the connection pin 613 moves forward and upward in the long hole 74 in parallel with the swing of the first link member 61. Further, the restricting guide 71 swings clockwise about the supporting point 72. In the structure of the present embodiment, the guide member 71 is restricted from swinging 24 ° by the first operation of the movable portion 52. This operation is continued until the movable portion 52 extends to a predetermined intermediate position, and the regulating projection 614 abuts against the regulating member 63, and the state shown in fig. 8 is reached.

In the halfway state shown in fig. 8, the connecting pin 613 is located at the front upper end of the long hole 74. When the movable portion 52 starts the second operation, the arm 3 swings, but the relative positional relationship between the arm 3 and the arm restricting mechanism 7 is unchanged. From the initial state to the final state of the auxiliary device 1, the urging member 75 urges the upper position 3B of the arm 3 in a direction to approach the movable portion 52.

The control unit, which is not shown, is constituted by an operator, a control body, and the like. The operator has an up button and a down button for operating the actuator 5, and is operated by an assisting person. The control main body part is composed of a computer device having a CPU and operated by software. The control main body portion controls the direction of the current flowing through the motor 53 of the actuator 5 based on the operation information obtained from the operator.

2. Operation, and effects of the assist device 1 according to the embodiment

Next, the operation, and effects of the assist device 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, control and operation of the ascending mode for supporting the transfer operation of the auxiliary machine M will be described. In the ascending mode, the assist device 1 moves from the initial state shown in fig. 2 to the final state shown in fig. 4 through the intermediate state shown in fig. 3. In addition, in the case of assisting the seating operation of the assisted subject M, the assisting apparatus 1 operates in the reverse direction in the substantially reverse order of the transfer operation.

First, the assistant returns the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 to the shortened position shown in fig. 2. Next, the assisting person holds the handle 42 to move the assisting apparatus 1 so as to approach the assisted person M in the sitting posture. The assisting person M brings the lower body into the region below the support 4, and places both feet on the foot placement table 21. The assisted subject M can obtain a stable posture by bringing a part of the lower leg into contact with the lower leg abutment portion 25.

Next, the assisted subject M leans forward to bring the torso into surface contact with the torso support 41, and also leans against the underarm support 45 under both armpits. At this time, the trunk support 41 swings in the rising direction, so that the forward tilting angle of the trunk may be small. Further, the underarm support portion 45 is substantially horizontal or slightly lowered rearward, so that the aided subject M can easily lean against the underarm support portion 45. The posture of the assisted subject M at this time becomes the initial posture. The series of operations of the assisted subject M may be assisted by an assisting subject. In the initial posture, the buttocks of the assisted person M are seated on the seating surface. Therefore, the assisted subject M is supported by the buttocks to have a comfortable posture by the load generated by the body weight.

Then, the assist person starts the control of the ascending mode. Thereby, the movable portion 52 of the actuator 5 starts the first operation to extend, and the first link member 61 swings counterclockwise in fig. 2. In addition, the arm 3 maintains the rear position in the initial state. Along with the swinging of the first link member 61, the support portion 4 swings forward in conjunction with the second link member 62. At this time, the forward of the underarm support portion 45 is lowered, so that the rearward movement of the assisted person M is restricted, and the assisted person M does not fall off from the support portion 4.

By the swing of the supporting portion 4, the upper body of the assisted person M gradually develops into a forward leaning state. When the movable portion 52 extends to a predetermined intermediate position, the state shown in fig. 3 is set. In the state of fig. 3, the restricting projection 614 abuts against the restricting member 63, and the swinging of the first link member 61 ends. Therefore, the swinging of the supporting portion 4 is also ended. The buttocks of the auxiliary subject M are separated from the seating surface instantaneously.

Further, when the movable portion 52 starts the second operation, the arm 3 is driven by the movable portion 52 to swing clockwise in fig. 3. At the same time, the actuator 5 is tilted forward. The support 4 maintains a constant posture with respect to the arm 3. This operation is continued until the movable portion 52 is extended to the extended position and the arm 3 reaches the end state of fig. 4 at the front position. Thereby, the upper body of the assisted subject M moves obliquely upward and further leans forward. As a result, as shown in fig. 4, the assisted person M takes a transfer posture in which the buttocks rise greatly from the seating surface and the legs are extended.

According to the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the forward swing of the support portion 4 and the forward swing of the arm 3 can be driven by one actuator 5. This makes the transfer operation of the auxiliary person M smooth, and improves the comfort of use. In addition, the cost is low compared with the prior art using two actuators.

In the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the second link member 62 is allowed to be in a non-engaged state with respect to the first link member 61. That is, the second link member 62 can swing clockwise away from the engagement pin 617 of the first link member 61 (see fig. 10). Thereby, the support portion 4 swings forward. Therefore, the area below the support portion 4 can be enlarged, and the assisted person M can easily enter the lower body. In addition, the thigh of the auxiliary member M is not strongly held.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the arm 3 viewed obliquely from above. As shown, the movable first link member 61 and the second link member 62 are covered with the upper cover member 38. Thus, the safety is improved, the appearance is simple, and the aesthetic property is improved. The arm 3 is formed by connecting an arm front 34 and an arm upper 35, and the actuator 5 is disposed near the arm front 34. Therefore, a large space area can be secured below the support portion 4, and the auxiliary person M does not feel restraint.

3. The action and effect of the arm limiting mechanism 7

Next, the operation and effect of the arm regulating mechanism 7 will be described. In the assist device 1 of the embodiment, the base 2, the arm 3, the actuator 5, and the first link member 61 constitute a four-joint link, and there remains a degree of freedom in operation. In other words, the shape of the four-joint link can be changed when an external force is applied. The arm restriction mechanism 7 eliminates the degree of freedom of the four-link, and restricts unexpected forward swing of the arm 3. Fig. 10 is a side sectional view illustrating an unexpected swinging motion of the arm 3, and shows a state of the movable portion 52 at a halfway position.

As shown in fig. 10, in the structure in which the arm restriction mechanism 7 is not provided, it is assumed that a forward external force is applied to the support portion 4. In this case, first, the support portion 4 swings freely forward. When the external force remains, the arm 3 swings forward. That is, when the movable portion 52 does not operate, the arm 3 swings. As can be seen from a comparison of fig. 3 and 10, the arm 3 swings by an angle α in an unexpected motion. This phenomenon occurs when the support 4 is multiplied by the assisting person M. At this time, the aided person M feels uncomfortable about the unexpected swing motion of the arm 3, and the comfort of use is lowered.

The arm regulating mechanism 7 shown by the broken line in fig. 10 always accommodates the position of the connecting pin 613 in the long hole 74, thereby regulating the unexpected swinging motion of the arm 3. According to the present embodiment, even if the degree of freedom remains in the link mechanism 6, the arm restriction mechanism 7 eliminates the degree of freedom in the link mechanism 6 and restricts unexpected operations of the arm 3. Therefore, according to the assist device 1 of the embodiment, unexpected movements of the arm 3 can be restricted, and the comfort of use of the assisted person M can be ensured.

Further, the arm restriction mechanism 7 does not hinder the driving of the actuator 5. If the forward swing of the arm 3 is simply restricted, the arm 3 may be biased rearward by a biasing member. However, in this case, the rearward force may hinder the driving of the actuator 5. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, unexpected operations of the arm 3 can be restricted without increasing the output of the actuator 5 or the like.

4. Modification and application of the embodiment

In addition, the present embodiment is capable of various modifications and applications, including changes in the shape and size of each component.

Description of the reference numerals

1: auxiliary device 2: base station 22: actuator support 27: arm supporting seat 3: arm 31: the rod-like member 33: support mount 38: upper cover member 3A: predetermined position 3B: upper position 4: support 5: actuator 51: body portion 52: the movable portion 53: motor 6: linkage 61: first link member 611: support point 612: forearm portion 613: the connection pin 614: limiting tab 616: rear arm portion 617: engagement pin 62: the second link member 63: a restricting member 7: arm restriction mechanism 71: the restriction guide 74: long hole 75: force application member M: assisted person

Claims

1. An assist device for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person, comprising:

a base station;

an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction;

a support unit which supports a part of the body of the assisted person and is provided to the arm so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction;

an armpit supporting part which is arranged on the supporting part and supports the armpit of the assisted person;

an actuator having a main body portion provided to the base so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction and a movable portion extending and contracting from the main body portion; and

A link mechanism having a first link member provided to the arm and a second link member provided to the support portion, the link mechanism transmitting an operation of the movable portion to swing of the support portion via the first link member and the second link member,

the actuator is configured to move the support portion forward relative to the arm by a first movement of the movable portion from a shortened position to a predetermined intermediate position, thereby lowering the front portion of the underarm support portion to restrict rearward movement of the assisted subject, and to move the arm forward by a second movement of the movable portion from the intermediate position to an extended position, thereby moving the support portion upward relative to the base to bring the assisted subject supported by the support portion into a transfer-time posture.

2. An assisting method for assisting a transfer operation of an assisted person by using an assisting device,

the auxiliary device is provided with: a base station; an arm provided on the base so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; a support unit that supports a part of the body of the assisted subject and is provided to the arm so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction; an armpit supporting part which is arranged on the supporting part and supports the armpit of the assisted person; an actuator having a main body portion provided to the base so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction and a movable portion extending and contracting from the main body portion; and a link mechanism having a first link member provided to the arm and a second link member provided to the support portion, the link mechanism transmitting an operation of the movable portion to swing of the support portion via the first link member and the second link member,

the auxiliary method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

a first step of bringing the armpit support portion into the armpit of the assisted person in a seated posture;

a second step of swinging the support portion forward with respect to the arm by a first operation of extending the movable portion from a shortened position to a predetermined intermediate position, thereby lowering the front portion of the underarm support portion to restrict rearward movement of the assisted person; and

And a third step of swinging the arm forward by a second operation of extending the movable portion from the intermediate position to the extended position, thereby moving the support portion upward with respect to the base, and bringing the assisted person supported by the support portion into a transfer-time posture.