CN115484914A

CN115484914A - Auxiliary device

Info

Publication number: CN115484914A
Application number: CN202080100210.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 清水聪志; 神谷有城
Original assignee: Fuji Corp
Current assignee: Fuji Corp
Priority date: 2020-05-19
Filing date: 2020-05-19
Publication date: 2022-12-16
Also published as: KR20220143101A; JPWO2021234827A1; WO2021234827A1; JP7420931B2

Abstract

An assist device is provided with: a base station; a pair of armpit supporting portions for supporting the left and right armpits of the person to be assisted; and a driving unit for moving the pair of the armpit supporting portions at least in the vertical direction with reference to the base, the armpit supporting portions including: a normal surface portion which is in contact with at least the underarm and the upper arm of the person to be assisted; and a low friction surface part having a friction coefficient smaller than that of the normal surface part and contacting a flank part of the assisted person.

Description

Auxiliary device

Technical Field

The present specification relates to an assisting device including an underarm support portion for supporting an underarm of an assisted person.

Background

With the development of an aging society, the demand for auxiliary devices is increasing. The assisting apparatus generally assists various motions of the person to be assisted by driving a support member that supports a part of the body of the person to be assisted. An assisting apparatus for assisting a standing up movement and a sitting movement of a person to be assisted is often provided with a pair of armpit supporting portions for supporting the left and right armpits of the person to be assisted, respectively, or an upper body supporting portion for supporting the upper body of the person to be assisted. By introducing the assisting device, the physical burden on the assisting person and the person to be assisted can be reduced, and the shortage of the person to be assisted can be alleviated. Patent document 1 discloses a technical example of such an assist device.

The assist device of patent document 1 includes: a base station; an underarm support section capable of moving relative to the base while supporting the left and right underarms of the person to be assisted; and a driving part for driving the armpit supporting part. The underarm support section includes: a core member; and an outer peripheral member that is provided rotatably with respect to the core member and that is in contact with the body of the person to be assisted. Thus, the outer peripheral member can rotate relative to the core member while following the posture change of the person to be assisted. Therefore, the friction force generated between the person to be assisted and the underarm support portion can be buffered and suppressed, and the comfortable use feeling of the person to be assisted can be realized.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2018/179294

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the assisting apparatus of patent document 1 is preferable in that pain caused in the flank of the person to be assisted by frictional force can be reduced by rotating the outer peripheral member with respect to the core member. However, if the outer peripheral member is configured to rotate endlessly, the force of the underarm support portion catching the person to be assisted is lost, and the original function cannot be exerted. Therefore, the amount of rotation of the outer peripheral member is limited, and as a result, there is a limit to the reduction of pain due to friction. In addition, the underarm support portion may support a load corresponding to more than half of the body weight of the person to be assisted. In this case, the person to be assisted may feel pain due to a strong pressing feeling of the armpit support portion lifting up both sides of the armpit.

In addition, some of the auxiliary devices have the following structure: the pair of underarm support portions are swung or moved in a direction to approach each other in accordance with a downward load applied to the pair of underarm support portions, whereby the person to be assisted can be reliably supported. In this configuration, the person to be assisted may feel pain due to the pressing force of the left and right underarm supporting portions clamping the side abdominal portion. The pain tends to become noticeable in the assisted person having a large body shape.

Therefore, an object to be solved in the present specification is to provide an assisting apparatus that reduces pain of a person to be assisted and realizes a comfortable feeling of use.

Means for solving the problems

The present specification discloses an assist device provided with: a base station; a pair of armpit supporting portions for supporting the left and right armpits of the person to be assisted; and a driving section for moving the pair of the underarm support sections at least in the vertical direction with reference to the base, the underarm support sections including: a normal surface portion which is in contact with at least the underarm and the upper arm of the person to be assisted; and a low friction surface portion having a friction coefficient lower than that of the normal surface portion and contacting a flank portion of the person to be assisted.

Thus, a portion of the surface of the underarm support portion which is in contact with the flank of the person to be assisted becomes a low-friction surface portion. Therefore, pain of the person to be assisted due to the frictional force can be reduced. Therefore, the assist device can be provided that achieves a comfortable feeling of use.

In addition, the present specification discloses an assist device including: a base station; a pair of underarm support portions for supporting left and right underarms of the person to be assisted, respectively; and a driving unit for moving the pair of the armpit supporting portions at least in the vertical direction with reference to the base, the armpit supporting portions including: a core member; and an outer peripheral member that covers the core member and is elastically deformable, wherein the core member is disposed below a center of the outer peripheral member.

Thus, the upper side of the outer peripheral member constituting the underarm support portion is made thicker than the conventional one, thereby suppressing the feeling of pressure caused by pushing up the underarm. Therefore, the pain of the person to be assisted can be reduced. Therefore, the assist device can be provided that achieves a comfortable feeling of use.

Further, the present specification discloses an assist device including: a base station; a pair of armpit supporting portions which support left and right armpits of the person to be assisted and which can swing or move in directions to approach or separate from each other; a driving unit for moving the pair of the armpit supporting parts at least in the vertical direction with reference to the base; and a restricting mechanism for restricting a swing range or a movement range in a direction in which the pair of the underarm support portions approach each other.

Thereby, the closest distance between the pair of underarm supports when they approach each other is limited. Therefore, the pressing force for pinching the lateral abdomen of the assisted person from both sides can be suppressed, and the pain of the assisted person can be reduced. Therefore, the assist device can be provided that achieves a comfortable feeling of use.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of an auxiliary device according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the support member including the trunk support portion and the underarm support portion.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the underarm support shown in section III-III in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the assist device of the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the underarm support of the second embodiment as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the assist device of the second embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a regulating belt and a regulating buckle corresponding to one embodiment of a regulating mechanism and a regulating portion in the assisting apparatus according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating functions of the regulation band and the adjustment buckle.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the assist device according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a regulating mechanism and a regulating unit of the assist device according to the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating an underarm support assisting mechanism that can be added to each embodiment.

Detailed Description

1. Overall structure of the assisting apparatus 1 of the first embodiment

The overall structure of the assisting apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is explained with reference to fig. 1. The upper, lower, front, and rear of the assist device 1 are defined as indicated by the upper right arrow in fig. 1. The supporting apparatus 1 is used for transfer between two different places such as transfer between a bed and a wheelchair of a person to be supported and transfer between a wheelchair and a toilet seat. The support device 1 supports the upper body of the person to be supported, and supports the rising movement from the sitting position to the standing position and the sitting movement from the standing position to the sitting position.

Here, the standing posture means a posture in which the buttocks are raised from the seat surface and the legs are extended, and includes a standing posture and a stooping posture. That is, the standing posture includes a standing posture in which the upper body is substantially upright, a stooping posture in which the upper body is tilted forward, a bowing forward bending posture, and the like. In addition, the supporting device 1 is also used for a purpose of being carried and moved by a person to be supported in a case where two places to be carried are separated. For example, the support device 1 is used for moving a person to be supported from a living room to a toilet, a dining room, or the like. The assist device 1 includes a base 2, an arm member 3, a support member 6 including an upper body support portion 4 and an underarm support portion 5, an actuator 7, a control portion not shown, and the like.

The base 2 is a part on which the person to be assisted rides. The arm member 3 and the actuator 7 are assembled to the base 2. The base 2 is formed of a foot board 20, a pair of left and right pipe frames 21, a pair of left and right assembly frames 22, and the like. The footrest 20 is formed of a metal or resin plate material and extends horizontally at a position slightly higher than the floor surface F. The left and right edges of the footrest 20 are bent downward. The foot rest 20 is a member for the person to be assisted to place his or her foot.

The pipe frame 21 is formed by bending a metal pipe. The pair of left and right pipe frames 21 are attached to the lower side of the footrest 20 and extend forward. The front portion 211 of each tube frame 21 is bent upward in front of the footrest 20. On the front sides of the front portions 211 of the pair of pipe frames 21, upright plate-shaped assembly frames 22 are provided.

Swing support bases 29 are provided on the upper portions of the pair of right and left assembly frames 22, respectively. Front wheels 25 are provided below the pair of assembly frames 22, respectively. The upper ends of the front parts 211 of the pipe frames 21 are respectively provided with position adjusting parts 281. The position adjusting unit 281 is a manual adjusting mechanism for the assisting person or the like to adjust the position of the knee abutting member 28 in the front-rear direction according to the physique or the like of the person to be assisted.

The knee contact member 28 is located above the foot rest 20 and is a part against which the knee of the person to be assisted is brought into contact. By determining the position of the knee by the knee abutting member 28, the standing motion and the sitting motion of the assisted person are stabilized. The knee abutting member 28 is formed by a bottom plate 282, a knee abutting body 283, two support rods 284, and the like. The bottom plate 282 is formed by a metal plate material so as to extend in the left-right direction, and is disposed slightly inclined forward from the vertical direction. The knee abutting body 283 is formed of an elastically deformable urethane foam or the like, and is attached to the rear side of the bottom plate 282. The two support rods 284 are formed using a metal bar, and the bottom plate 282 is coupled to the left and right position adjusting portions 281.

An actuator support 23 is provided at a forward position of the foot board 20. Center wheels 26 are provided on the left and right sides of the lower surface of the footboard 20 near the front. Rear wheels 27 are provided on the left and right sides of the lower surface of the rear end portion of the footrest 20. The diameter of the middle wheel 26 and the rear wheel 27 is smaller than the diameter of the front wheel 25. The front wheels 25, the middle wheels 26, and the rear wheels 27 have a steering function. Therefore, the auxiliary device 1 can perform not only the linear movement and the swing movement but also the lateral movement and the pivot swing. The front wheels 25 have a lock function of restricting the movement of the assist device 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the arm member 3 is formed in a shape curved in the middle when viewed from the side. A pair of right and left swing shafts 31 are provided near the lower portion of the arm member 3. The pair of swing shafts 31 are supported swingably on the swing support base 29 of the assembly frame 22. A stopper mechanism, not shown, is provided in the vicinity of the swing support base 29 in order to limit the range of the swing angle of the arm member 3. Thereby, the arm member 3 can swing in the upward and forward direction and the downward and backward direction with respect to the base 2. The arm member 3 swings upward and forward (clockwise swing in fig. 1) at the time of the standing operation of the assisted person. Further, the arm member 3 swings in the backward-downward direction at the time of the seating action of the assisted person.

A battery and a link mechanism, not shown, are housed inside the arm member 3. The battery serves as a power source for the actuator 7 and the control unit. A swing support portion (reference numeral omitted) is provided on the rear side of the upper portion of the arm member 3, and a swing member 32 is provided on the swing support portion. The swing member 32 swings with respect to the arm member 3. However, in the initial state before the person to be assisted comes into contact with the support member 6, the swinging member 32 is restricted by the link mechanism so as not to swing. The applicant of the present application discloses a detailed structural example of a link mechanism in international publication No. 2018/167856.

The swinging member 32 has a bottom plate 33 on the rear side. The bottom plate 33 is formed using a plate material made of metal or resin and having a relatively high rigidity. The base plate 33 has a handle 34 on the front surface. The handle 34 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape and extends upward of the arm member 3. The handle 34 is a part to be gripped by the assistor and is also a part to be gripped by the assistor to move the assisting apparatus 1.

The support member 6 is provided on the rear side of the bottom plate 33. The support member 6 includes an upper body support portion 4 and a pair of underarm support portions 5. The upper body support portion 4 is attached to the rear surface of the bottom plate 33. The upper body support portion 4 is formed by laminating a hard cushion member 41 and a soft cushion member 42. The upper body support part 4 supports the upper body of the person to be assisted, mainly supporting a belt from the chest to the abdomen.

The pair of underarm supports 5 are attached to the right and left sides of the bottom plate 33 and disposed on the right and left sides of the upper body support 4. The underarm support 5 is formed in an L-shape bent at an obtuse angle. The upper portion of the armpit support portion 5 that rises above the bent portion abuts against the shoulder of the person to be assisted. The inclined straight portion of the armpit supporting portion 5 below the bent portion enters the armpit of the person to be assisted to support the upper body. The armpit support portion 5 plays a role of embracing the person to be assisted during the standing up operation of the person to be assisted. The detailed structure of the underarm support 5 will be described later.

The actuator 7 is an embodiment of a driving unit that moves the pair of underarm supporting portions 5 at least in the vertical direction with reference to the base 2. The actuator 7 is a linear actuator that extends and contracts, and is formed of a main body 71, a movable part 72, a motor 73, and the like. The body 71 is a vertically long cylindrical member having a large diameter and has an opening at the upper part. The lower end of the body portion 71 is supported by the actuator support 23 of the base 2. The movable portion 72 is a vertically long, narrow, round rod-shaped member. The upper end of the movable portion 72 is connected to the link mechanism of the arm member 3. The lower portion of the movable portion 72 is fitted into the opening of the main body portion 71.

The motor 73 is mounted on the front side of the lower part of the main body 71. The motor 73 switches the direction of current flow by the control unit, and drives the extension and contraction operations of the movable unit 72. Thereby, the movable portion 72 performs an expansion and contraction operation with respect to the main body portion 71. The actuator 7 performs a first extension operation of extending from the minimum length to a predetermined middle length and a second extension operation of extending from the middle length to the maximum length.

The support member 6 is driven to swing in the upward and forward direction via the link mechanism by the first extending operation of the actuator 7. By the second extension operation of the actuator 7, the arm member 3 is driven via the link mechanism to swing upward and forward. Thus, the support member 6 moves forward while moving upward with respect to the base 2. Thereby, the assisting apparatus 1 assists the standing up operation of the person to be assisted. Further, the support member 6 moves rearward while moving downward by the contraction operation of the actuator 7. Thereby, the assisting apparatus 1 assists the sitting movement of the person to be assisted.

The control unit, not shown, is constituted by an operator, a control main body unit, and the like. The operator has an up button and a down button for operating the actuator 7. The operator is operated by an assistant. The control main body is a computer device having a CPU and operating by software. The control main body controls the current flowing through the actuator 7 based on the operation information of the up button and the down button. This controls switching between the operation and stop of the actuator 7 and the expansion and contraction operations.

2. Detailed structure and function of underarm support 5

Next, the detailed structure and operation of the underarm support portion 5 will be described with reference to fig. 2 to 4. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the underarm support 5 includes a core member 51, an outer peripheral member 52, a normal cover member 53, and a low-friction cover member 54. The core member 51 is formed by bending a round bar or a tube made of metal or hard resin into an L-shape, for example. The upper portion of the core member 51 above the bent portion and the linear portion below the bent portion correspond to the upper portion and the linear portion of the underarm support portion 5. The core member 51 has sufficient mechanical strength to support the body weight of the assisted person.

The outer peripheral member 52 is formed in a thick cylindrical shape covering at least the outer periphery of the lower linear portion of the core member 51, using an elastically deformable cushioning material. As a material of the cushion material forming the outer peripheral member 52, a sponge rubber made of ethylene propylene rubber can be exemplified. The outer peripheral member 52 made of the cushioning material is easily compressively deformed by a load applied from the person M to be assisted. The outer peripheral member 52 may be constrained by adhesion or the like to the core member 51, or may be rotatable within a predetermined angular range with respect to the core member 51.

The cover member 53 is generally formed using, for example, synthetic leather. The cover member 53 is generally formed in a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the outer peripheral member 52. The cover member 53 is generally bonded to the outer peripheral member 52 and is deformable together with the outer peripheral member 52. The cover member 53 may cover lower rear end surfaces of the core member 51 and the outer peripheral member 52.

The low-friction cover member 54 is formed using a substantially rectangular synthetic resin sheet, for example, a polypropylene sheet. As shown in fig. 3, the low-friction cover member 54 extends from the upper side to the lower side of the pair of underarm supports 5 via the opposite inner sides. The low-friction cover member 54 is bonded or sewn to the outer surface of the normal cover member 53.

According to the above configuration, the low-friction cover member 54 contacts the flank of the person to be assisted. In addition, the cover member 53 normally contacts at least the underarm and the upper arm of the person to be assisted. Here, the surface of the cover member 53 is generally relatively rough compared to the low-friction cover member 54, and has a relatively large friction coefficient. In contrast, the surface of the low friction cover component 54 is relatively smooth, having a relatively low coefficient of friction. Therefore, the normal cover member 53 constitutes a normal surface portion that comes into contact with at least the underarm and the upper arm of the person to be assisted. The low-friction cover member 54 is configured as a low-friction surface portion having a lower friction coefficient than the normal surface portion and coming into contact with the flank portion of the person to be assisted.

In the initial state of the standing operation of the person H to be assisted shown in fig. 4, the underarm support portion 5 is positioned between the lateral abdominal portion and the upper arm portion below the underarm of the person H to be assisted. When the assistance by the standing operation of the assistance device 1 is started, the armpit support 5 holds the person H to be assisted while moving upward. At this time, the armpit support portion 5 rises while contacting the flank portion, and generates a frictional force F1. Due to the frictional force F1, the outer peripheral member 52 is torsionally deformed in the rotational direction R1 (see fig. 3) in which the low-friction cover member 54 is lowered, and is also compressively deformed. Further, a frictional force F1 in the upward movement direction acts on the flank of the person H to be assisted. Nevertheless, since the low-friction cover member 54 (low-friction surface portion) is in contact with the flank portion, the generated frictional force F1 can be reduced.

On the other hand, since the cover member 53 normally contacts the underarms and the upper arms of the person H to be assisted with an appropriate surface pressure and friction force, a lifting force is secured. Therefore, the underarm support 5 can stably hold the person H to be assisted. If the entire circumference of the outer peripheral member 52 is covered with the low-friction cover member 54 without using the normal cover member 53, the sliding between the abdominal portion and the upper arm portion becomes excessively large, and there is a possibility that the posture of the person H to be assisted becomes unstable.

According to the assisting apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, a portion of the surface of the underarm support portion 5 which comes into contact with the flank of the person H to be assisted is the low-friction cover member 54 (low-friction surface portion). Therefore, the pain of the person H to be assisted due to the frictional force F1 can be reduced. Therefore, the assist device 1 that achieves a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

The combination of the materials of the normal cover member 53 and the low-friction cover member 54 is not limited to the above example, and may be a combination of other materials. The low-friction cover member 54 may have a one-layer structure, which is not a two-layer structure disposed so as to overlap the outer surface of the normal cover member 53, but is a structure disposed in a substantially rectangular cutout formed in the normal cover member 53. The normal cover member 53 may be omitted, and the low-friction cover member 54 may be directly bonded to a part of the outer surface of the outer peripheral member 52. In this case, the friction coefficient of the surface of the low-friction cover member 54 is set to be smaller than the friction coefficient of the outer surface of the outer peripheral member 52.

3. Underarm support portion 5A of the assisting apparatus 1 of the second embodiment

Next, with reference to fig. 5 and 6, the point of difference between the assisting apparatus 1 of the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, the structure other than the underarm support portion 5A is the same as that of the first embodiment. As shown in fig. 5, the underarm support portion 5A of the second embodiment is composed of a core member 51, an intermediate member 55, and an outer peripheral member 52.

The core member 51 is formed using a round rod or a tube made of metal or hard resin. The intermediate member 55 is formed in a thick cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the core member 51, using a material that is harder but elastically deformable than the outer peripheral member 52, for example, a relatively hard sponge rubber. The outer peripheral member 52 is formed in a shape covering the upper side but not the lower side in the outer periphery of the intermediate member 55 using a cushioning material. The intermediate member 55 may be formed of the same material as the outer peripheral member 52, or may be formed integrally with the outer peripheral member 52. In addition, the inner and outer sides of the underarm support portion 5A contacting the lateral abdomen need not be of a symmetrical configuration.

In the present second embodiment, the intermediate member 55 is a part of the outer peripheral member 52 that covers the core member 51 and is elastically deformable. Thus, the core member 51 is disposed below the center of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55. The upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55 has a thickness D1 larger than the lower side has a thickness D2. The upper thickness D1 is set to be larger than the thickness of a conventional underarm support having a substantially rotationally symmetrical cross section.

In the state in the middle of the standing operation of the person to be assisted H shown in fig. 6, a load W1 based on the body weight of the person to be assisted H acts on the underarm support portion 5A. As a reaction force thereof, the armpit support portion 5A lifts the armpit of the person to be assisted H, and the person to be assisted H feels a sense of pressure in the armpit. However, since the thickness D1 of the upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55 is large, deformation larger than that of the conventional one occurs, and the feeling of pressure is suppressed.

According to the assisting apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, the thickness D1 of the upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 constituting the underarm support portion 5A is made larger than the conventional one, and the generation of the feeling of pressure of pushing up the underarm can be suppressed. Therefore, the pain of the person to be assisted H can be alleviated. Therefore, the assist device 1 that achieves a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

Instead of uniformly increasing the thickness of the outer peripheral member 52 including the intermediate member 55 over the entire circumference, the upper thickness D1 is increased and the lower thickness D2 is decreased. This can suppress the size increase of the underarm support portion 5A. Further, by reducing the lower thickness D2, a large space can be secured between the underarm support portion 5A and the floor surface F, and entry of the wheelchair becomes easy. This makes it easy for the person H to be assisted to shift from the wheelchair to the footrest 20, thereby improving the comfort of use.

The intermediate member 55 may be formed of a solid material that does not elastically deform, and may be a part of the core member 51. In this modification, the outer peripheral member 52 covers the upper side of the core member 51 including the intermediate member 55, but does not cover the lower side. However, the thickness D3 of the upper side of the outer peripheral member 52 is set to be larger than the thickness of the conventional underarm support portion.

4. Auxiliary device 1 of the third embodiment

Next, with reference to fig. 7 to 9, differences between the support device 1 of the third embodiment and the first and second embodiments will be mainly described. The assisting apparatus 1 of the third embodiment includes a regulating band 81 and an adjusting buckle 83, in addition to the base 2, the arm members 3, the support member 6 including the upper body support portion 4 and the underarm support portion 5B, the actuator 7, and a control portion not shown. In fig. 8, the upper body support 4 and the outer peripheral member 52 are not shown.

As shown in fig. 8, the core member 51 constituting the underarm support portion 5B has a mounting plate 56 on the inside of the standing front portion. The mounting plate 56 is disposed in close proximity to the rear surface of the base plate 33. A predetermined position 57 is set at substantially the center of the mounting plate 56. The predetermined position 57 is supported by the bottom plate 33 to be swingable. Thereby, the pair of core members 51 and the underarm support portions 5B can swing in directions approaching each other with the predetermined position 57 as a swing center, as indicated by an arrow M1. A limit position 58 is set at a position on the lower edge of the mounting plate 56 close to the core member 51.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, a fixed point position 82 is set at the center of the upper portion of the handle 34 having a substantially rectangular frame shape. The restricting band 81 connects the restricting position 58 of one of the forehead support portions 5B and the restricting position 58 of the other one of the forehead support portions 5B, and is folded back slidably at the fixed point position 82. The restricting band 81 is stretchable in the width direction but not stretchable in the longitudinal direction. Further, since the handle 34 moves and swings integrally with the underarm support portion 5B, the positional relationship shown in fig. 7 and 8 is always maintained.

The restriction belts 81 restrict the left and right restriction positions 58 in a state where tension is generated by being tensioned, and restrict the swing range of the attachment plate 56 and the core member 51. Thereby, the swing range of the underarm support portion 5B is restricted. That is, the restricting band 81 has a function of restricting the closest distance when the pair of underarm supports 5B approach each other. The restricting band 81 is only loosened in the direction in which the pair of underarm supports 5B are separated from each other, and does not have a restricting function. The restricting belt 81 is one embodiment of a restricting mechanism that restricts a swing range or a movement range in a direction in which the pair of the underarm supports 5B approach each other.

An adjustment buckle 83 is inserted between one of the restricting positions 58 and the fixed point position 82 of the restricting belt 81. The adjustment buckle 83 has a function of adjusting the length of the restriction band 81. The assisting person or the like operates the adjustment buckle 83 to adjust the length of the restriction band 81 according to the physique of the person to be assisted. The adjustment buckle 83 is one embodiment of an adjustment unit that adjusts the swing range or the movement range restricted by the restriction mechanism (the restriction belt 81) in accordance with the physique of the person to be assisted.

In the initial state of the standing up movement of the person to be assisted H shown in fig. 9, the underarm support portion 5B is positioned between the lower side abdominal portion and the upper arm portion of the underarm of the person to be assisted H. At this time, the pair of armpit supports 5B clamp the lateral abdomen of the person to be assisted H from both sides, and thus the pressing force F2 is generated. Nevertheless, since the closest distance of the pair of underarm supports 5B is limited by the limiting band 81, the pressing force F2 can be reduced.

When the shape of the person to be assisted H is small, the person to be assisted adjusts the restricting band 81 to be long and sets the closest distance between the pair of armpit supporting portions 5B to be small. On the other hand, when the shape of the person to be assisted H is large, the person to be assisted adjusts the restricting belt 81 to be short and sets the closest distance between the pair of armpit supporting portions 5B to be large. By adjusting the length of the regulating band 81 in this way, the closest distance between the pair of underarm supports 5B can be adjusted to the physique of the person to be assisted H, and an effect of reducing the pressing force F2 always appropriately is produced.

According to the assisting apparatus 1 of the third embodiment, the closest distance when the pair of underarm supports 5B approach each other can be restricted. Therefore, the pressing force F2 for pinching the side abdomen of the person to be assisted H from both sides can be suppressed, and the pain of the person to be assisted H can be reduced. Therefore, the assist device 1 that achieves a comfortable feeling of use can be provided.

Alternatively, a pair of left and right regulating bands may be used to individually connect the regulating positions 58 and the fixed point positions 82 of the left and right underarm supporting portions 5B. In this embodiment, the adjustment buckles 83 are provided to the pair of restriction bands, respectively. In addition, the adjustment buckle 83 can be omitted. The pair of underarm supports 5B may be movable in directions toward and away from each other while maintaining a parallel state without swinging. In this embodiment, the restricting mechanism instead of the restricting belt 81 restricts the moving range in the direction in which the pair of the underarm supports 5B approach each other.

5. Auxiliary device 1 of fourth embodiment

Next, with reference to fig. 10, points of difference between the support device 1 of the fourth embodiment and the first to third embodiments will be mainly described. In fig. 10, the upper body support 4 and the outer peripheral member 52 are not shown. The assisting apparatus 1 of the fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment in that the core member 51 and the underarm support portion 5B swing, and includes a regulating mechanism and a regulating portion different from those of the third embodiment. The restricting mechanism is constituted by a pair of restricting pins 86 and a restricting lever 87. As the adjusting portion, a rod position adjusting portion 88 is provided.

The pair of regulating pins 86 are provided near the lower edges of the left and right mounting plates 56 at positions close to the core member 51, instead of the regulating positions 58 of the third embodiment. The restricting lever 87 is mounted on the rear surface of the left and right mounting plates 56 and is disposed below the restricting pin 86. The restricting pin 86 abuts on the upper surface of the restricting lever 87 in the middle of the swinging movement of the underarm support 5B and the core member 51 in the direction M1 of approaching each other, and the swinging movement is restricted.

The restriction lever 87 is supported at its center in the left-right direction by a lever position adjustment portion 88 and is capable of sliding movement in the up-down direction. The rod position adjuster 88 is provided so as to penetrate the bottom plate 33. The lever position adjusting portion 88 has a function of adjusting the position of the restricting lever 87 in the vertical direction. The assistant or the like can adjust the vertical position of the regulating rod 87 as shown by an arrow M2 by operating the rod position regulating part 88 from the front side of the bottom plate 33.

Specifically, when the shape of the person to be assisted is small, the person to be assisted or the like sets the position of the regulating lever 87 low and the closest distance between the pair of armpit supporting portions 5B small. On the other hand, when the shape of the person to be assisted is large, the person to be assisted adjusts the position of the regulating lever 87 to be high and sets the closest distance between the pair of armpit supporting portions 5B to be large. Thus, as in the third embodiment, the closest distance between the pair of underarm supports 5B can be adjusted to the physique of the person to be assisted, and the effect of reducing the pressing force at all times can be produced.

6. Underarm support assisting mechanism 9

Next, an underarm support assisting mechanism 9 that can be added to the assisting apparatus 1 according to the first to fourth embodiments will be described with reference to fig. 11. The underarm support assisting mechanism 9 is provided on the front surface or the rear surface of the bottom plate 33. As shown in fig. 11, the underarm support assisting mechanism 9 swings or moves the pair of underarm supports 5B (5, 5A) in a direction M3 in which the pair of underarm supports 5B (5, 5A) approach each other in accordance with a downward load W2 applied to the pair of underarm supports 5B (5, 5A). Thus, when the person to be assisted leans against the pair of underarm supports 5B (5, 5A), the pair of underarm supports 5B (5, 5A) approach each other to reliably support the person to be assisted.

An example of a mechanism that can be applied to the underarm support assisting mechanism 9 is named and disclosed in international publication No. 2015/011838 as a holding position adjusting mechanism. In addition, in the embodiment in which the underarm support assisting mechanism 9 is added to the assisting apparatus 1 of the third embodiment, there is an effect of suppressing the left-right imbalance of the posture of the person to be assisted. Specifically, when the person to be assisted leans against one of the underarm supports 5B, the underarm support 5B swings, but the restricting belt 81 is tensioned to generate tension. Thereby, the swing range of the one underarm support portion 5B is restricted, and the imbalance with the other underarm support portion 5B is suppressed. As a result, the assisting apparatus 1 can suppress the left-right imbalance of the posture of the person to be assisted.

7. Variants and applications of the embodiments

In addition, the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be combined and implemented. The first embodiment and the second embodiment can be combined with the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment. In other words, the assisting apparatus 1 according to the first and second embodiments may include the restricting mechanism and the adjusting unit described in the third or fourth embodiment. In addition, the first to fourth embodiments can be variously modified and applied.

Description of the reference numerals

1. An auxiliary device; 2. a base station; 20. a foot pedal; 21. a tube frame; 22. assembling a frame; 3. an arm member; 33. a base plate; 34. a handle; 4. an upper body support; 5. 5A, 5B, an underarm support; 51. a core member; 52. an outer peripheral member; 53. a generally cover member; 54. a low-friction cover component; 55. an intermediate member; 56. mounting a plate; 57. a predetermined position; 58. a limit position; 6. a support member; 7. an actuator; 81. a restraining band; 82. a fixed point position; 83. adjusting the belt buckle; 86. a restricting pin; 87. a restricting lever; 88. a rod position adjustment section; 9. an underarm support assist mechanism.

Claims

1. An assist device is provided with:

a base station;

a pair of armpit supporting portions for supporting the left and right armpits of the person to be assisted; and

a driving section for moving the pair of the underarm supporting sections at least in the vertical direction with respect to the base,

the underarm support has: a normal surface portion which is in contact with at least the underarm and the upper arm of the assisted person; and a low-friction surface portion having a lower friction coefficient than the normal surface portion and contacting a flank portion of the assisted person.

2. The assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

the underarm support has:

a core member;

an outer peripheral member that covers the core member and is elastically deformable;

a normal cover member that covers the outer peripheral member and constitutes the normal surface portion; and

and a low-friction cover member that covers the outer peripheral member and constitutes the low-friction surface portion.

3. The assistance apparatus according to claim 2,

the low-friction cover member is disposed so as to overlap an outer surface of the normal cover member.

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

the usual cover member is a synthetic leather having a relatively rough surface and the low friction cover member is a sheet of synthetic resin having a relatively smooth surface.

5. The assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the underarm support has:

a core member; and

and an outer peripheral member that covers the core member and is elastically deformable, and the core member is disposed below a center of the outer peripheral member.

6. An assist device is provided with:

a base station;

a driving section for moving the pair of underarm supporting sections at least in the vertical direction with respect to the base,

the underarm support has:

a core member; and

7. Auxiliary device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein,

the outer peripheral member is formed in a cylindrical shape covering the core member, and has a thickness larger on an upper side than on a lower side.

8. Auxiliary device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein,

the outer peripheral member covers an upper side of the core member, but does not cover a lower side of the core member.

9. The assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

a pair of the underarm supports can swing or move in directions to approach or separate from each other,

the assist device further includes a restricting mechanism that restricts a swing range or a movement range in a direction in which the pair of the underarm support portions approach each other.

10. An assist device is provided with:

a base station;

a pair of armpit supporting portions which support left and right armpits of the person to be assisted and which can swing or move in directions to approach or separate from each other;

a driving unit that moves the pair of the underarm supporting units at least in the vertical direction with reference to the base; and

and a restricting mechanism that restricts a swing range or a movement range in a direction in which the pair of the underarm supports approach each other.

11. The assistance apparatus according to claim 9 or 10,

the predetermined position of the underarm support is supported in a swingable manner,

the restricting mechanism is a restricting band that connects a restricting position of the underarm support portion other than the predetermined position and a fixed point position provided on a member that moves integrally with the underarm support portion.

12. The assistance device according to claim 11,

the restricting band connects the restricting position of one of the underarm support portions and the restricting position of the other of the underarm support portions, and is folded back slidably at the fixed point position.

13. The assistance apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12,

the assisting apparatus further includes an adjusting unit that adjusts the swing range or the movement range restricted by the restricting unit in accordance with the physique of the person to be assisted.

14. The assistance apparatus according to claim 11 or 12,

the assisting device further includes an adjustment buckle that adjusts the length of the restriction band in accordance with the physique of the person to be assisted.

15. The assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 14,

the auxiliary device further includes an underarm support assisting mechanism that swings or moves the pair of underarm support portions in a direction in which the pair of underarm support portions approach each other in accordance with a downward load acting on the pair of underarm support portions.