JP2001211915A - Walking assisting cane - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and rapidly regulate the impact force and cane length at the contact with the ground to be transmitted to the human body in compliance with individual differences in body weight, height, or the like. SOLUTION: Impact absorptive power is regulated by rotating a movable strut part 6 and advancing and retreating a bolt 52 to and from internal threads 62 disposed at the top end of the movable strut part 6, thereby changing the set length of a spring 51. A cylindrical collet 81 is tightened to an outer strut cylinder 82 via internal screw threads 81a and a projecting part 83a of a cylindrical stopper 83 is fitted to a groove 84a of an inner strut cylinder 84, by which the drawing-out position of the inner strut cylinder 84 is fixed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a walking aid or crutch having means for adjusting the absorption of an impact transmitted from the ground to a human body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, walking aids and crutches have been used to assist walking when legs and hips are weak or the body is broken. In this walking aid and the like, a strut portion is fixedly connected to a grip portion.

[0003]

When such a conventional walking aid is used, the impact from the tip of the walking stick is transmitted directly to the human body step by step, so that the upper body,
In particular, fatigue and pain tended to occur on the wrist, elbow, shoulder, waist, and the like. Particularly, in urban areas, the sidewalk is made of hard concrete or the like, so that the impact becomes even stronger. Further, since the load applied to the cane varies greatly depending on the user's weight, health condition, preferences, and the like, careful consideration is required in accordance with the individual difference. Furthermore, it is necessary that the length of the cane and the like can be easily adjusted according to individual differences such as height.

[0004] However, most conventional walking aids and the like absorb the impact transmitted to the human body by the rubber butt at the tip or the bending of the walking stick itself, but the bending is minute. Therefore, it did not have sufficient shock absorbing power.
Further, even with a cane provided with a shock absorbing means, the shock absorbing power cannot be adjusted unless a part of the part of the cane is removed or disassembled.

[0005] Furthermore, as for the means for adjusting the length of the stick, it is time-consuming to pull out and fit the pins and screws by means of knock pins or screws, and it is difficult to tighten the cylindrical wedge with a cylindrical collet and fix it by frictional force. ,
There was a risk of oil sticking or loosening during prolonged use.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to absorb the impact transmitted from the cane to the human body when using the cane, and to absorb the impact from the cane and to adjust the impact of the cane according to the individual difference of the person using the cane. It is an object of the present invention to provide a walking assist cane and the like whose length can be easily and quickly adjusted.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a walking auxiliary walking stick comprising a grip portion and a column connected to the grip portion. The strut includes an outer cylinder, shock absorbing means placed in the outer cylinder, and a movable strut slidably connected to the outer cylinder via the shock absorbing means. The shock absorbing means has a shock absorbing force adjusting means, and the shock absorbing force adjusting means is formed inside the grip portion with a bolt for changing a set length of the shock absorbing member. It consists of a hole and a female screw formed at the upper end of the movable column. The head of the bolt can be slid up and down in the hole, but is inserted so as to regulate relative rotation, and a male screw formed at the lower part of the bolt is screwed into the female screw so as to advance and retreat. Is configured.

[0008] By constructing the invention in this way, the shock absorbing force can be changed by changing the set length of the shock absorbing member only by turning the movable support relative to the outer cylinder without disassembling the cane at all. Can be adjusted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a walking auxiliary walking stick comprising a grip portion and a column connected to the grip portion. The strut includes an outer cylinder, shock absorbing means placed in the outer cylinder, and a movable strut slidably connected to the outer cylinder via the shock absorbing means. The movable support has a length adjusting means, and the length adjusting means comprises an outer support tube, an inner support tube, a cylindrical stopper, and a cylindrical collet. A male screw is formed at a lower portion of the outer column of the outer column. On the outer periphery of the inner support cylinder, grooves parallel to a cross section perpendicular to the axis are formed at substantially equal intervals. A convex portion parallel to a cross section perpendicular to the axis is formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical stopper, and is separated by a longitudinal slit at one location on the circumference. A female screw is formed in the upper inside of the cylindrical collet, and a circular hole is formed in the lower bottom end surface. Further, at least one of an inner peripheral edge of a lower end of the outer support cylinder and an inner lower bottom surface of the cylindrical collet is formed in a tapered shape. The inner support tube is slidably inserted into the outer support tube, and the cylindrical stopper is slidably inserted outside the inner support tube. The cylindrical collet is inserted outside the cylindrical stopper, the circular hole of the cylindrical collet is slidably inserted outside the inner column cylinder, and the female screw of the cylindrical collet is inserted into the external thread of the outer column cylinder. It is configured to be screwed. Then, when this circumferential collet is screwed into the outer support cylinder, the cylindrical stopper sandwiched between them is elastically deformed so that at least one end outer peripheral edge is pressed by the tapered portion to reduce the radius. By engaging the convex portion of the cylindrical stopper with the groove of the inner support tube, the outer support tube and the inner support tube are fixed. Here, the shock absorbing means means all means for absorbing a shock transmitted from the stick to the human body by forming a shock absorbing member in the outer cylinder between the movable column and the outer cylinder.

[0010] By constructing the invention in this manner, it is possible to absorb the impact transmitted from the cane to the human body, and to securely fix the inner support tube and the outer support tube only by rotating the cylindrical collet with respect to the outer support tube. Alternatively, the length of the stick can be easily adjusted, and the fixed portion can be prevented from shifting during use.

[0013] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the walking auxiliary stick according to the second aspect, wherein the shock absorbing means has an adjusting means for adjusting a shock absorbing force.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the walking auxiliary cane according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a supporting portion is connected to an upper portion of the grip portion, and the supporting portion is a holding portion and a means for adjusting the length suspended from the holding portion. It has. And this walking assistance stick is used as a crutch.

According to the present invention, when using a crutch, the length between the holding portion sandwiched under the arm and the grip portion grasped by hand can be easily adjusted according to individual differences such as height. It can be adjusted reliably.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. The walking aid cane 1 is roughly divided into a grip portion 2 at the upper portion of the cane, a strut portion 3 connected to the grip portion, and a cane length adjusting means 8 constituting a lower portion of the strut portion. Have. The shape of the grip portion 2 is T-shaped, the material is wooden,
It can be appropriately selected from light metals, synthetic resins, and other substances. The support portion 3 is connected to a lower portion 2 a that is vertically provided integrally with the grip portion 2.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a sectional structure of the column 3.
An outer cylinder 4 is formed on the outer side of the upper portion of the column 3 and is made of a hollow lightweight aluminum material, and is screwed to a lower portion 2a of the grip portion 2 (see FIG. 1). Inside the outer cylinder 4, a movable column 6 made of a lightweight aluminum material is slidably connected to the outer cylinder via a shock absorbing means 5 described later. Further, the shock absorbing means 5 is provided with an absorbing force adjusting means 7 for adjusting a shock absorbing force described later.

The structure of the shock absorbing means 5 is as follows. A female screw 62 is formed at the upper end of the movable support portion 6, and a bolt 52 is connected to the female screw. Bolt 5
A coil-shaped spring 51 as a shock absorbing member is inserted in a compressed state around the center axis 2. The female screw 62 of the movable column 6 has a sufficient depth so that the screwing length of the bolt 52 can be adjusted. An upper part of the spring 51 is covered with a bush 53 made of aluminum, and a lower part is provided with a guide part 61 at an upper end of the movable column part 6 to prevent the spring from laterally shifting. Head 5 of bolt 52
Reference numeral 21 denotes a hexagon, which is inserted into a hexagon hole 21 formed inside the grip portion 2. Hex socket 21 of grip 2
A rubber packing 40 is inserted into the bottom of the box. The bush 53 is inserted into a hollow portion 41 formed in the upper part of the outer cylinder 4 and is fixed so as not to move in the axial direction while being sandwiched by the bottom surface of the grip portion 2. In addition, it is desirable that the movable support part 6 be hollow for weight reduction.

Next, the use state of the shock absorbing means 5 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the tip of the walking auxiliary walking stick 1 is not grounded, that is, a state in which no load is applied to the walking stick. In this case, due to the repulsive force of the spring 51, the movable support 6 is pushed downward, and the lower surface of the head 521 of the bolt 52 contacts the upper surface of the bush 53. Therefore, the spring 51 is set to the length of the bolt 52 from the upper surface of the movable support portion 6 to the lower surface of the bush 53, and retains the compressive force at the set length.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the tip of the walking auxiliary walking stick 1 is in contact with the ground, that is, a state in which a load is applied to the walking stick. In this case, the tip of the movable column 6 is pushed back from the ground,
The spring 51 contracts and absorbs the impact force when the cane touches the ground. Further, the top 521 of the bolt 52 separates from the upper surface of the bush 53 and protrudes into the hole 21 inside the grip portion 2. If the load becomes excessive and the top 521 of the bolt 52 collides with the bottom of this hole, the packing 40 absorbs the impact.

Therefore, when the walking aid cane 1 is used, when the tip of the walking stick comes into contact with the ground, an appropriate repulsive force held by the spring 51 is obtained, and the cane is stabilized. The impact force transmitted to the human body is absorbed.

Also, by reducing the gap between the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 4 and the outer diameter of the movable column 6 and making the length in the movable direction overlapping with the outer cylinder sufficient, the cane 1 as a whole is Can be prevented from bending, and the cane can be used stably. Further, reducing this gap can suppress the entry of foreign matter from the outside, and can prevent rust and wear. By providing a bush or the like in this gap, it is also effective to prevent wear and entry of foreign matter. Further, since the grip portion 2 and the column portion 3 are connected by a screw structure, disassembly and repair of the movable portion are easy.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the configuration and use of the shock absorbing force adjusting means 7 will be described. The shock absorbing force adjusting means 7 includes a bolt 52 for changing the set length of the spring 51 and a hexagonal head 521 forming the upper part of the bolt, which can slide up and down but restricts relative rotation. A hexagonal hole 21 formed inside the grip portion 2 inserted into the gripper 2 and a male screw 522 formed at the lower part of the bolt 52 are internally screwed 62 formed at the upper end of the movable column 6 which is screwed forward and backward. It is composed of

When the tip of the cane shown in FIG. 2 is not on the ground, that is, when no load is applied to the cane, the compression force of the spring 51 is determined by the original length of the spring and the upper surface of the movable support 6. The set length is determined by the difference from the set length to the lower surface of the bolt 53, and the set length is determined by the length from the lower surface of the head 521 of the bolt 52 to the upper surface of the movable column 6. Therefore, in order to change the compression force set to the spring 51, it is only necessary to rotate the movable support 6 relative to the outer cylinder 4. That is, the hexagonal head 521 of the bolt 52 is inserted into the hexagonal hole 21 formed inside the grip portion 2 to prevent the bolt from rotating. Then, the male screw portion 522 at the lower part of the bolt advances and retreats to the female screw 62 at the tip of the movable support portion, changing the set length of the spring 51 and changing the compression force set to the spring.

FIG. 4 shows a male screw portion 52 below the bolt 52.
2 shows a state in which the screw 2 is screwed deeply into the female screw 62 of the movable column 6. In this case, the head 521 of the bolt 52
Since the length from the lower surface to the upper surface of the movable support portion 6 is reduced, the set length of the spring 51 is also reduced, and the compression force set to the spring increases.

Therefore, by configuring the adjusting means 7 for adjusting the shock absorbing force as described above, the shock absorbing force can be adjusted easily, quickly, and steplessly in accordance with individual differences of users of the cane.

Next, FIGS. 5 and 6 show a sectional structure of the length adjusting means 8 for adjusting the length of the movable column 6. The length adjusting means 8 is roughly divided into an outer support cylinder 82 and an inner support cylinder 8.
4, a cylindrical stopper 83, and a cylindrical collet 81. The outer support cylinder 82 constitutes a lower portion of the hollow movable support portion 6, and has a male screw 82a formed on an outer lower portion thereof. The inner edge of the lower end surface of the outer support cylinder 82 is a tapered portion 82b. The inner support cylinder 84 is made of an aluminum hollow member, and has two rows of grooves 84b having a rectangular cross section formed on the outer upper portion thereof. A bushing 85 made of synthetic resin is mounted in the grooves. The bushing 85 has a ring shape having a thickness slightly larger than the depth of the groove 84b. One portion on the circumference is separated by a slit in the longitudinal direction, and the bushing 85 is detachable from the groove 84b. Has become. Also, on the outer periphery of the inner support cylinder 84,
A groove 8 having a semicircular cross section parallel to a cross section perpendicular to its axis.
4a are formed at substantially equal intervals.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the shape of the cylindrical stopper 83. FIG. The cylindrical stopper 83 is made of an elastic cylindrical ring made of brass, and has a convex portion 83a formed on the inner periphery thereof, which is parallel to a cross section perpendicular to the axis. Are separated. The cross section of the projection 83a has a semicircular shape, and the radius of the semicircle is smaller than the radius of the cross section of the groove 84a formed on the outer periphery of the inner support cylinder 84. The outer peripheral edges of both ends of the cylindrical stopper 83 are tapered portions 83c.

The cylindrical collet 81 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) is made of an aluminum material, the inner diameter of which is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical stopper 83 in a free state, and a female screw is formed on the upper inside. A circular hole 81c is formed in the lower bottom end surface of the circumferential collet 81, and the inner lower surface is a tapered portion 81b inclined toward the circular hole.

Next, the outer support cylinder 82, the inner support cylinder 84,
The mutual relationship between the cylindrical stopper 83 and the cylindrical collet 81 will be described (see FIGS. 5 and 6). An inner support tube 84 is slidably inserted through a bushing 85 inside the outer support tube 82. A cylindrical stopper 83 is provided outside the inner support cylinder 84.
Is slidably inserted. A cylindrical collet 81 is inserted outside the cylindrical stopper 83. The circular hole 81c of the cylindrical collet 81 is slidable with the outer periphery of the inner support cylinder 84, and the cylindrical collet has a female screw 81a.
Threadedly engages with the external thread 82a of the outer support cylinder 82.

Next, the operation of the length adjusting means 8 will be described. FIG. 5 shows a state where the outer support tube 82 and the inner support tube 84 are not fixed. In this case, the cylindrical collet 81 screwed into the external thread 82a of the outer column cylinder 82 is rotated via this screw and moved in a direction away from the outer column cylinder downward. For this reason, the cylindrical stopper 83 inserted between the inside of the cylindrical collet 81 and the outside of the inner support cylinder 84 is moved from the lower end 82b of the outer support cylinder and the inner lower bottom surface 81b of the cylindrical collet to both ends thereof. The outer edge is separated and unbound. Therefore, the cylindrical stopper 83 expands outward by its own elastic force until the inner diameter of the convex portion 83a becomes larger than the outer diameter of the inner support tube 84. In this state, the inner support tube 84
Can be freely slid in the cylindrical stopper 83 and the outer column cylinder 82. The bushing 85 mounted on the upper portion of the inner support cylinder 84 gives an appropriate frictional force to the sliding operation, and facilitates adjustment of the length of the movable support 6. Further, the bushing 85 mounted in the groove 84b is mounted.
Is the outer diameter of the projection 83 of the cylindrical stopper 83 in the free state.
Since the inner support cylinder 84 is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of a, the inner support cylinder 84 can be prevented from falling off when the length is adjusted.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the outer support tube 82 and the inner support tube 84 are fixed. First, in the state of FIG. 5 described above, the inner support tube 84 is slid from the lower end of the outer support tube 82 to a position of a desired length. Then, when the cylindrical collet 81 is rotated via the female screw 81 a and moves in a direction approaching the outer column cylinder 82, the tapered portions 83 c at the outer peripheral edges at both ends of the cylindrical stopper 83 become lower end surfaces of the outer column cylinder 82. And between the inner collet 81 and the inner bottom surface of the collet 81, receives a compressive force in the axial direction, and tapers 81c and
This produces a force that reduces the radius. At this time, if the convex portion 83a of the cylindrical stopper 83 is shifted from the position of the groove 84a of the inner support cylinder 84, the convex portion 83a is
The inner support cylinder is slightly slid to the position where it fits. Then, by further tightening the cylindrical collet 81 to the outer column tube 82, the convex portion 83a fits into the groove 84a, and thereby the outer column tube 82 and the inner column tube 84 are fixed.

Further, as described above, since the semi-circular semi-circular shape of the convex portion 83a is formed smaller than the semi-circular semi-circular shape of the groove 84a, the tip of the convex portion fits into this groove. Do not hit the bottom of this groove when mating. Therefore, the groove 8
Since damage or deformation of the bottom of 4a can be prevented, the minimum wall thickness of the inner support tube 84 at this groove position can be reduced, and the weight of the inner support tube 84 can be reduced.

By constructing the length adjusting means in this manner, it is possible to easily and quickly adjust the length of the cane simply by loosening or tightening the female screw 81a of the cylindrical collet 81, and During use, it is possible to reliably prevent the fixed position between the outer support cylinder 82 and the inner support cylinder 84 from shifting.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the walking aid according to the present invention is used as a crutch. Crutch 100
Has a support 200 connected to the upper part of the grip 2 of the walking assistance stick 1 shown in FIG. That is, the support portion 200
Has a holding portion 210 sandwiched beneath the arm at the upper end, and a length adjusting means 208 is vertically provided on the holding portion. The lower portion of the inner support tube 248 that constitutes the length adjusting means 208 is integrally connected to the grip portion 102 that is grasped by hand. In the lower part of the grip portion 102, similarly to the walking auxiliary stick 1 shown in FIG. 1, the strut portion 3 in which the shock absorbing means 5 and the absorbing force adjusting means 7 for adjusting the shock absorbing force are provided, and the length adjustment. Means 8 are provided.

By configuring the crutch 100 in this manner, the distance between the holding portion 210 and the auxiliary grip portion 102 and the overall length of the crutch 100 can be adjusted according to individual differences such as height without disassembling the cane. Can be adjusted easily and quickly.

In the above embodiment, the shape of the grip portion 2 shown in FIG. 1 may be another shape such as an L-shape or a spherical shape, as long as the shape is compatible with the hand. Part 8
Is not limited to aluminum, but other metal materials and non-metal materials can be used as long as they are lightweight. Further, the method of connecting the grip portion 2 and the support portion 3 shown in FIG. 2 is not limited to the screw structure, but may be another bonding method such as an adhesive or welding. Shock absorbing member 51
The same effect can be obtained by using an air spring or an elastic material using an air cylinder instead of the coil spring. The head 521 of the bolt 52 is not limited to a hexagon but may be a quadrangle or other shapes as long as it can prevent rotation. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, it is desirable to attach a ram 20 made of rubber, synthetic resin, or the like to the tip of the movable support 6 in order to prevent abrasion of the tip of the cane, prevent slippage, and reduce noise. Further, the present invention relates to a walking assistance stick, but an umbrella may be used as a stick in everyday life. Therefore, the impact absorbing means and the impact force adjusting means of the present invention can be adopted for an umbrella.

[0036]

As described above, when the walking aid is used, the impact transmitted from the walking stick to the human body is absorbed, and the impact absorbing power from the walking stick is adjusted according to the individual difference of the person using the walking stick. Can be easily and quickly adjusted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted drawing showing the entire external shape of a walking assistance stick.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a shock absorbing means and a shock absorbing force adjusting means in a state where no load is applied.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a shock absorbing means and a shock absorbing force adjusting means in a state where a load is applied.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the shock absorbing means and the shock absorbing force adjusting means in a state where the shock absorbing force is increased.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the length adjusting means in a state where the fixed length is released.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the length adjusting means in a state where the length is fixed.

FIG. 7 is a top view showing the shape of a cylindrical stopper.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of a cylindrical stopper.

FIG. 9 is a partially omitted drawing showing the entire outer shape of the crutch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Walking assistance stick 100 Crutch 102 Grasping part 2 Grasping part 21 Hole 200 Support part 208 Length adjusting means 210 Holding part 3 Support part 4 Outer cylinder 5 Shock absorbing means 51 Shock absorbing member (spring) 52 Bolt 522 Male screw 6 Movable supporting column Part 62 Female thread 7 Adjusting means of shock absorbing force 8 Length adjusting means 81 Cylindrical collet 81a Female screw 81b Tapered section 82 Outer column cylinder 82a Male screw 82b Tapered section 83 Cylindrical stopper 83a Convex section 83b Slit 83c Tapered section 84 Inner column Tube 84a Groove

Claims (4)

[Claims] The present invention comprises a grip portion and a column connected to the grip portion. The column portion includes an outer cylinder, shock absorbing means placed in the outer cylinder, and a shock absorbing means. A movable strut portion slidably connected to the outer cylinder, wherein the shock absorbing means has a shock absorbing force adjusting means, and the shock absorbing force adjusting means comprises a shock absorbing member. It consists of a bolt for changing the set length, a hole formed inside the grip portion, and a female screw formed at the upper end of the movable column, and the head of the bolt can slide up and down into the hole. A walking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that the walking aid is inserted so as to regulate relative rotation, and a male screw formed at a lower portion of the bolt is screwed into the female screw so as to be able to advance and retreat. And a support portion connected to the handle portion. The support portion includes an outer cylinder, shock absorbing means disposed in the outer cylinder, and a shock absorbing means. A movable strut portion slidably connected to the outer cylinder, the movable strut portion includes a length adjusting means, and the length adjusting means includes an outer strut cylinder and An inner thread is formed on an outer lower part of the outer strut cylinder, and a groove parallel to a cross section perpendicular to an axis thereof is formed in an outer periphery of the inner strut cylinder. Are formed at substantially equal intervals, and at the inner periphery of the cylindrical stopper, a convex portion is formed parallel to a cross section perpendicular to the axis thereof, and is separated at one location on the circumference by a longitudinal slit. A female screw is formed on the upper inside of the cylindrical collet, and A circular hole is formed in the lower bottom end surface, and at least one of the lower inner peripheral edge of the outer support cylinder and the lower inner bottom surface of the cylindrical collet is formed in a tapered shape. A cylinder is slidably inserted into the outer support cylinder, the cylindrical stopper is slidably inserted outside the inner support cylinder, the cylindrical collet is inserted outside the cylindrical stopper, and a circular hole of the cylindrical collet is provided. Is slidably inserted outside the inner column cylinder, the female screw of the cylindrical collet is configured to be screwed into the male screw of the outer column cylinder, and when the circumferential collet is screwed into the outer column cylinder,
The cylindrical stopper sandwiched between them elastically deforms the outer peripheral edge of at least one end portion to be pressed by the tapered portion so as to reduce the radius, and the convex portion of the cylindrical stopper engages with the groove of the inner support cylinder. The walking support cane is characterized in that the outer support tube and the inner support tube are fixed by doing. 3. The shock absorbing means according to claim 2,
A walking aid comprising an adjusting means for adjusting the shock absorbing force. 4. A crutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a supporting portion is connected to the upper portion of the grip portion, and the supporting portion includes a holding portion and a length adjusting means which is suspended from the holding portion. A walking aid that can be used.