JP2003062019A - Meal support equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a meal support equipment which holds food without scattering it. SOLUTION: While the first holding member 7 heads toward the very top along a guide rail 17 by the driving of an actuator 9, a support rail 21 becomes a holding orbit of fitting and closing each end 7a, 8a of the first holding member 7 and the second holding member 8 after getting an end 7a of the first holding member 7 open through a support axis 18 so that the end 7a detaches from a fixed second holding member 8. The support rail 21 becomes a setback orbit so that the first holding member 7 doesn't get away from the second holding member 8 when the first holding member 7 withdraws toward a rear anchor the guide rail 17 by the driving of an actuator 9. A power addition 10 operates given holding power to hold food 50 between the first holding member 7 and the second holding member 8. In other words, neighboring food 50 doesn't scatter because the second holding member 8 doesn't move when the first holding member 7 closes.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a meal support device that assists a person with an upper limb disability to have a meal by himself. In particular, the present invention relates to a meal support device including a food gripping mechanism that accurately grips food and operates so that an operator can easily eat.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art To operate a meal support device, a jaw joystick or a laser pointer attached to the operator's head is used so that a person with an upper limb disorder (hereinafter referred to as an operator) can easily operate it. A manipulator to direct is used.

Using these operating devices, the gripping portion arranged at the tip of the manipulator is moved and operated. The grip portion has a fork and a spoon whose tips are oriented in substantially the same direction. The fork moves back and forth in the longitudinal direction, and the spoon turns so that the front side faces the fork and moves toward and away from the fork.

When gripping food, the grip is moved to the position of the desired food to be eaten so that the tips of the forks and spoons face downward toward the desired food. At this time, the fork is retracted, and the spoon is separated from the fork to be in an open state. Then, the grip is lowered and the spoon is placed beside the desired food. Then, the fork is moved forward, the spoon is rotated in the fork direction, and the desired food is gripped between the fork and the spoon while sucking up the desired food.

When carrying the grasped food to the operator side, the spoon is positioned below the fork, and the tip of the fork and the spoon are turned sideways toward the operator side. In this state, the tip of the fork and spoon is moved to the mouth of the operator. Then, the electrostatic capacitance sensor detects that the operator's mouth touches the spoon, and the fork is lowered backward so that it is easy to eat. At this time, the food is placed on the spoon, and the operator puts the spoon in his mouth to eat.

[0006] When the operator eats food and the mouth of the operator separates from the spoon, the grip part separates from the operator, and the fork is retracted backward to grip the next food, and the spoon is separated from the fork to an open state. And wait.

[0007]

However, in the conventional meal support device, when grasping the food, the food is hiccuped by rotating the spoon up to about 10 degrees from the vertical downward direction, and the food is eaten during the hiking of the spoon. It was configured to rotate the fork so as to attach to the. Therefore, if there is food that is not gripped by the spoon and fork in the region where the spoon and fork rotate, the food is scattered because the spoon and fork push away the food during gripping. In order to prevent this scattering, it was unavoidable to use special tableware such as a lunch box, which was partitioned by food with a certain height of edge. That is, in the conventional meal support device, the operator cannot freely select and eat the tableware, and the purpose of making the operator enjoy the meal is halved, and the special tableware of the meal support device is required. was there.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a meal support device that can grasp food without scattering it in order to solve the above problems.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a meal support device according to claim 1 according to the present invention comprises a gripping mechanism for gripping food and a control section for controlling the operation of the gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism includes a first gripping member having a long shape, a second gripping member having a long shape that is attached to the first gripping member and fixed to a base, and a base end of the first gripping member is fixed. Moving member, a guide rail that supports the moving member so as to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the first gripping member, and the guide so that the first gripping member comes into contact with and separates from the second gripping member. A support shaft that pivotally supports a rail on the base, a drive unit that is controlled by the control unit to move the moving member forward and backward along the guide rail, the first gripping member, and the second gripping member. Hold the food between the members A force applying portion that exerts a predetermined gripping force, and when the moving member moves in the distal direction, the guide rail is swung so as to resist the action of the force applying portion, and when the gripping position is reached, the force applying portion acts. And a support rail that guides the moving member so as to form a retreating track that moves the moving member in the proximal direction while receiving the action of the urging portion. Is characterized by.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the meal support device according to the first aspect.
In the meal support apparatus described above, the support rail is rotatably supported by the base, and when the moving member is released from the action of the urging portion at the proximal end, the movement is performed. It is characterized in that the member is rotated so as to be placed on the grip track.

A meal support device according to a third aspect is the first aspect.
Alternatively, in the meal support device according to claim 2, a conveyance unit which is controlled by the control unit and conveys the gripping mechanism, and a gripping position at which the first gripping member grips food are detected, and a detection signal is sent to the control unit. And a grip detection unit for outputting the control signal, the control unit performing control of moving the grip mechanism in the vertical direction by a predetermined distance in response to the input of the detection signal to the transport unit.

A meal support device according to a fourth aspect is the first aspect.
Through the meal support device according to claim 3,
The force applying portion is composed of a tension spring having one end fixed to the base and the other end fixed to the moving member, and strengthens the gripping force as the first gripping member moves in the forward trajectory. The gripping force is weakened as the first gripping member moves on the backward trajectory.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of the meal support device of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the meal support device comprises an operation unit 1, a control unit 2, and a manipulator 3.

As the operation unit 1, a joystick is adopted in this embodiment. The joystick is arranged in the vicinity of the operator's chin using a mounting arm or table, and the operator operates the joystick with the chin or the like. As the joystick operation, for example, tilting operations up, down, left and right in FIG. 1 are performed. Although not shown, the operation unit 1 may include an operation instruction by a laser pointer attached to the operator's head.

The control unit 2 includes an operating unit 1 and a gripping unit 5 which will be described later.
The manipulator 3 is controlled according to the signal input from the.

The manipulator 3 is composed of a transport section 4 and a grip section 5. The transport unit 4 forms an arm that transports the gripping unit 5 to a place where the food 50 is located or to the mouth of the operator in response to a control signal from the control unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the grip portion 5 mainly includes a first grip member 7, a second grip member 8, a drive unit 9, a moving member 16, a guide rail 17, and a support shaft 18. , The support rail 21 and the force applying portion 10 constitute a gripping mechanism. Further, the grip portion 5 is provided with its base 5a rotatably in the arrow A direction in FIG.

The first gripping member 7 is formed in a longitudinal shape and is constituted by a fork in this embodiment. The first grip member 7 is fixed to the moving member 16 and is movable with respect to the base 5a of the grip portion 5. The first gripping member 7 is not limited to the fork.

The second gripping member 8 is formed in a longitudinal shape, and is constituted by a spoon in this embodiment. The second grip member 8 is fixed to the base 5 a of the grip portion 5 so as to be juxtaposed with the first grip member 7. The second grip member 8 is not limited to a spoon.

The drive unit 9 includes a motor 13 and a reduction gear 14
And a screw rod 15. The motor 13 rotates forward and backward in response to a control signal from the controller 2. Reduction gear 14
Is a drive gear 1 provided on the drive shaft 13a of the motor 13.
The rotation of the motor 13 is reduced by meshing with 3b. The screw rod 15 is a long rod-shaped body having a thread groove on the outer circumference, is connected to the reduction gear 14, and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the reduction gear 14.

The moving member 16 is screwed into the screw rod 15 and moves in the longitudinal direction of the screw rod 15 as the screw rod 15 rotates. Further, the moving member 16 is provided with a guide pin 16a.

The guide rail 17 rotatably supports the screw rod 15 and holds the moving member 16 so as not to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the screw rod 15.
6 is movably supported.

The base end of the first gripping member 7 is fixed to the moving member 16. Thereby, the first gripping member 7
With the movement of the moving member 16, it is possible to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of itself along the screw rod 15 and the guide rail 17. That is, the first gripping member 7 is moved forward by the drive unit 9 in the arrow B direction (front end direction) in FIG. 2 and is moved backward in the arrow C direction (base end direction) in FIG.

Further, the moving member 16 and the guide rail 1
The motor 7, the reduction gear 14, and the screw rod 15 that form the drive unit 9 form a drive unit that moves the first gripping member 7 forward and backward. This drive unit includes a base 5a of the grip portion 5.
Is supported by a support shaft 18. As a result, the entire drive unit (guide rail 17) can swing. With the swing of the drive unit, the first gripping member 7 opens and closes so that the tip end 7a comes into contact with and separates from the second gripping member 8.

The support rail 21 is constructed as a plate-like body which is integrated with the base body 20. The base body 20 is related to the moving member 16 and supports the support shaft 22 with respect to the base 5 a of the grip portion 5.
Is supported by. Thereby, the support rail 21
Is rotatably supported by the base 5a.

The biasing portion 23 is a tension spring having one end attached to the base 5a side of the grip portion 5 and the other end attached to the base body 20 side. As a result, the biasing member 23 pulls the rotatable base body 20 (support rail 21) and constantly generates a biasing force in a direction away from the screw rod 15 and the guide rail 17. Further, the base body 20 is the biasing member 2
While being pulled by the biasing force of 3, the base 5a of the grip portion 5
The swing is held at a predetermined position by a holding pin 24 fixed to the. In the state where the position of the base body 20 is held by the holding pin 24, the support rail 21 moves toward the arrow B in FIG. 2 in which the moving member 16 (first gripping member 7) moves forward and the screw rod 15 and It is inclined so as to approach the guide rail 17 side.

The force applying portion 10 is composed of a tension spring having one end attached to the base 5a side of the grip portion 5 and the other end attached to the moving member 16 side. As a result, the force applying portion 10
The swingable drive unit is pulled, and the tip 7a of the first gripping member 7 is always biased in the closing direction in which the tip 7a of the first gripping member 7 is close to the second gripping member 8 side. A gripping force for gripping the food 50 is generated during.

The biasing portion 10 strengthens the gripping force by separating the attached one end and the other end as the moving member 16 (first gripping member 7) moves forward in the direction of arrow B in FIG. . On the contrary, the urging unit 10 moves backward as the moving member 16 (first gripping member 7) moves backward in the direction of arrow C in FIG.
The gripping force is weakened when the attached one end approaches the other end.

A buffer member 19 is provided on the base 5a of the grip portion 5. The cushioning member 19 is made of an elastic body and stops the swing of the first gripping member 7 when the tip 7a of the first gripping member 7 approaches the second gripping member 8 side by the urging force of the urging unit 10. The collision between the one gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8 is avoided, and the shock and noise when the first gripping member 7 is stopped are suppressed.

The urging portion 10 for urging the swinging direction of the drive unit composed of the drive portion 9 and the urging portion 23 for urging the rotating direction of the base body 20 have the urging force of the urging portion 10. The urging force of the urging portion 23 is larger than that of the urging portion 23.

Further, the grip portion 5 is the retracted position detecting portion 2
5, a grip detection unit 26, and a contact detection unit 27. The retracted position detection unit 25 is configured to move the retracted moving member 16
Is detected and the detection signal is output to the control unit 2. Moving member 1 when the retracted position detector 25 detects the moving member 16
The position 6 is the retracted position in which the moving member 16 has moved most in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2 as shown in FIG.

The grip detector 26 detects the moving member 16 that has moved forward and outputs a detection signal to the controller 2. Moving member 1 when the grip detection unit 26 detects the moving member 16
The position 6 is the position where the moving member 16 moves in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 2 and is most advanced as shown in FIG. 5, and the food 50 is placed between the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8. It is a gripping position to be gripped.

The contact detector 27 detects that the operator's mouth touches the second grip member 8 and outputs a detection signal to the controller 2. As the contact detection unit 27, for example, a capacitance sensor is used. Therefore, a conductive material is used for the second grip member 8.

The operation of the above-mentioned grip portion 5 will be described below. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the gripping portion 5 grips the food 50, so that the tips 7 a and 8 a of the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8 are operated so as to face downward toward the food 50. It is conveyed by the unit 4. Then, the second grip member 8 is placed along the food 50 side. At this time, the first gripping member 7
Is in the retracted position where it has moved backward.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the first gripping member 7 is moved forward in the direction of arrow B. At this time, the moving member 1
The six guide pins 16 a ride on the support rail 21 and move along the inclination of the support rail 21. As a result, the drive unit including the drive unit 9 repels the gripping force of the force applying unit 10 and swings about the support shaft 18 as a fulcrum, so that the first gripping member 7 separates the tip end 7a from the second gripping member 8. Open to.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the first gripping member 7 is further moved forward in the direction of arrow B. Moving member 16
Moves further along the inclination of the support rail 21. The first gripping member 7 is further opened so that its tip is separated from the second gripping member. At this time, the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8
And the food 50 is interposed between each of the tips 7a and 8a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the moving member 16
The guide pin 16a is moved forward to a position where it is disengaged from the support rail 21. At such a position, the moving member 16 comes into contact with the grip detection unit 26, so that the grip detection unit 26 sends a signal to the control unit 2 to the effect that the grip position has been reached. When the moving member 16 is disengaged from the support rail 21, the drive unit including the drive unit 9 is pulled by the urging unit 10.
For this reason, the first gripping member 7 reaches the gripping position in which the distal ends 7a and 8a of the second gripping member 8 are closed so as to match each other. Thereby, the food 50 is gripped between the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8. In addition, the force applying portion 10 includes the moving member 1
Since it is stretched with the forward movement of 6, the first gripping member 7 is provided with a sufficient gripping force for gripping the food 50.
The gripping force is designed to have an appropriate value so that the food 50 is not crushed and does not spill.

In this way, when the first gripping member 7 is advanced in the distal direction, the tip 7a of the first gripping member 7 is separated from the second gripping member 8 by the action of the support rail 21 and the moving member 16. The guide pin 16a is disengaged from the support rail 21 and is closed by the action of the force applying portion 10 so that the tips 7a and 8a of the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8 are closed.

Next, the gripper 5 conveys the gripped food 50 to the operator so that the tips 7a and 8a of the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8 are located at the mouth of the operator. It is conveyed by the unit 4. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the transport unit 4 rotates the gripping unit 5 via the rotation shaft 4a to the meal position where the first gripping member 7 is located above and the second gripping member 8 is located below.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the first gripping member 7 is moved backward in the direction of arrow C. At this time, the moving member 1
The guide pin 16a of No. 6 passes through the lower side of the support rail 21 urged by the urging unit 23 and moves. The drive unit including the drive unit 9 is biased by the biasing unit 10. Thereby, the first gripping member 7
It moves backward while being restrained so as not to separate from the second grip member 8. Further, the force applying portion 10 contracts as the moving member 16 moves backward, so that the gripping force applied to the first gripping member 7 is gradually weakened. The backward movement of the first gripping member 7 is based on that the contact detection unit 27 detects that the operator's mouth touches the second gripping member 8.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the first holding member 7 is further moved backward in the direction of arrow C. The first gripping member 7 is restrained from being separated from the second gripping member 8 as described above, and further moves backward while weakening the gripping force to grip the food 50 with the second gripping member 8. To the retracted position where is solved. As a result, the food 50 is held only by the second grip member 8. The retracted position detector 25
The moving member 16 (retracted position) that has moved backward is detected.

In this way, when the first gripping member 7 is retracted in the rear end direction by the gripping force of the force applying portion 10, the first gripping member 7 is prevented from separating from the second gripping member 8. Make a retreat trajectory.

Then, the operator eats the food held by the second grip member 8. At this time, the contact detection unit 27 detects that the mouth of the operator has left the second grip member 8 after eating.

The signal flow of the meal support device will be described below. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a signal flow of the meal support device.
As shown in FIG. 8, in the control unit 2, when the operator operates the operation unit 1, a control signal is input from the operation unit 1 to the computing unit 31 via the input interface 30. Then, based on the control signal, the transport unit 4 or the gripping unit 5 (gripping mechanism) is controlled via the input / output interface 33 according to the program stored in the storage unit 32.
Further, when the detection signals of the contact detection unit 27, the grip detection unit 26, and the retracted position detection unit 25 are input to the computing unit 32 via the input / output interface 33, the grip unit according to the program stored in the storage unit 32. The part 5 (holding mechanism) is controlled.

The operation of the meal support device will be described below. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the operation flow of the meal support device, and FIGS. 10A to 10D are diagrams showing the operation of the meal support device. Now, assume that a caregiver or the like places food 50 on a plate 51 and arranges it on a table 52, as shown in FIG.

First, the operator 8 having an upper limb obstacle operates a joystick, which is the operation unit 1, using a chin or the like to select a tableware (area) (ST1). When selecting the tableware, as shown in FIG. 10A, the operation unit 1 is set such that the back is the left back area, the right is the right back area, the left is the left front area, and the front is the right front area. ing. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the operator selects the left front area. As a result, the manipulator 3 moves the grip portion 5 to the reference position of the tableware. The movement of the joystick may be movable in eight directions, and the areas may be subdivided in each direction.

Next, the operator operates the operation section 1 to adjust the grip position (ST2). When adjusting the gripping position, as shown in FIG. 10B, for example, the back of the operation unit 1 is the back, the right is the right, and the front is the front. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the grip position is adjusted to the right. As a result, the manipulator 3 moves the grip portion 5 to the grip position.

Next, the operator operates the operation section 1 to confirm the grip (ST3). When the grip is confirmed, FIG. 10 (c)
As shown in, the left side of the operation unit 1 is determined to be gripped, for example. As a result, the manipulator 3 is gripped and driven. Regarding the grip drive, the food 50 is gripped by the operation of the grip 5, and then the grip 5 gripping the food 50 is conveyed to the mouth as shown in FIG.

The fact that the gripper 5 has gripped the food 50 is based on the fact that the grip detector 26 detects the moving member 16 (grasping position) that has moved forward. The control unit 2 which receives the detection signal from the grip detection unit 26 stops the forward movement of the moving member 16,
Control is performed to move the grip portion 5 in the vertical direction from the grip position with respect to the transport unit 4 by a predetermined distance.

When the gripper 5 is transported to the mouth, the controller 2 controls the transporter 4 to move the gripper 5 in the vertical direction from the gripping position by a predetermined distance, and then the transporter 4 continues. 4 is controlled to rotate the grip portion 5 to a meal position in which the first grip member 7 (fork) is located above and the second grip member 8 (spoon) is located below.

Next, the operator puts his mouth on the grip member (second grip member 8) and eats the food 50 (ST4). As a result, the manipulator 3 causes the first gripping member 7 to retract by the operation of the gripping part 5.

The fact that the operator eats the food 50 is based on the fact that the contact detector 27 detects that the operator's mouth touches the second grip member 8. The control unit 2, which receives the detection signal from the contact detection unit 27, controls the grip unit 5 to move the first grip member 7 backward. Then, the control unit 2 stops the backward movement of the moving member 16 by the backward position detecting means 25 detecting the backward moving moving member 16 (the backward position).

Next, the operator puts his / her mouth through the holding member (second holding member 8) and finishes eating the held food (S).
T5). As a result, the manipulator 3 is moved to the position shown in FIG.
Return to the state of. Then, these operations can be repeated to eat.

The fact that the operator has finished eating the food 50 is based on the fact that the contact detection unit 27 detects that the operator's mouth is away from the second grip member 8 for a predetermined time. The control unit 2, which receives the detection signal from the contact detection unit 27, controls the transport unit 4 to transport the gripping unit 5 to the standby position.

Therefore, in the meal support device thus configured, the second gripping member 8 (spoon) is fixed to the base 5a when gripping the food 50 in the gripping portion 5, and the second gripping member 8 is fixed to the second gripping member 8. On the other hand, the first gripping member 7 (fork) forms a gripping track that opens and closes with forward movement. As a result, the second gripping member 8, which is a spoon, is not fixed to the base 5a and does not have to be hiccuped as in the conventional case, and the second gripping member 8 does not move when the first gripping member 7 is closed. Therefore, it becomes possible to grip the peripheral food 50 other than the desired food 50 without scattering. And since you can use ordinary dishes without using the lunch box type tableware partitioned for each type of food as in the past,
The operator can enjoy the meal. In addition, in the present embodiment, the force applying portion 10 is provided between the moving member 16 and the base 5a, but it is provided between the guide rail 17 and the base 5a and the first holding member 7 and the second holding member 8 are provided. It may be configured such that a gripping force is applied between the two.

Further, the support rail 21 is rotatably formed so that the moving member 16 returns from the retracted track to the grip track at the end portion of the support rail 21 on the base end side.
A series of operations from gripping the food 50 and retracting the first gripping member 7 by moving the moving member 16 forward and backward can be realized by a simple gripping mechanism.

Further, the above-mentioned meal support device has the grip detection unit 26 which detects the moving member 16 (gripping position) that has moved forward.
It is detected that the gripper 5 has gripped the food 50 by the detection signal, and the gripper 5 is moved relative to the transport unit 4 by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction from the grip position. As a result, the gripping portion 5 that grips the food 50 (the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8)
Does not come into contact with other foods 50, it is possible to prevent the surrounding foods 50 other than the desired foods 50 from being scattered.

Further, in the above meal support device, the grip 5 is moved in the vertical direction by a predetermined distance from the grip position, and then the first grip member 7 (fork) moves the grip 5 upward with respect to the conveyor 4. The second gripping member 8 (spoon) is rotated to the meal position located below, and the gripping part 5 is further transported to the mouth of the operator. Then, the mouth of the operator touches the second gripping member 8 to form a retreat trajectory for retracting the first gripping member 7 while suppressing the first gripping member 7 from being separated from the second gripping member 8. As a result, the grasped food 50 is conveyed so as not to be crushed, and the food 50 is conveyed to the operator's mouth while grasping the food 50 so as not to be spilled, and the first grasping member is provided in the operator's mouth. It is possible to retract 7 out of the mouth without opening.

Further, the meal support device described above has the grip portion 5
In the operation, the force applying unit 10 gradually increases the gripping force with the forward movement of the first gripping member 7 when gripping the food 50 between the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8, and the operation is performed. When the person eats the food 50, the gripping force is gradually weakened as the first gripping member 7 retracts. Thereby, a gripping force suitable for gripping the food 50 is obtained, so that the gripped food 50 can be conveyed without spilling. In addition, since the operator does not generate an excessive gripping force with the first gripping member 7 and the second gripping member 8 put in the mouth, the gripped food 50
It is possible to retreat the first gripping member without crushing and to allow the operator to eat without injuring.

[0061]

As described above, the meal support device according to the present invention has the first gripping member which moves forward and backward in the longitudinal direction with respect to the fixed second gripping member, and the first gripping member is moved in the distal direction. During the forward movement, the tip of the first grasping member is opened so as to be separated from the second grasping member, and then the grasping trajectory is performed so that the respective tips of the first grasping member and the second grasping member are aligned. Therefore, since the second gripping member does not move when the first gripping member is closed, it is possible to grip the surrounding food other than the desired food without scattering.

Further, by forming the support rail rotatably so that the moving member returns from the retracted track to the grip track at the base end side end of the support rail, the moving member can be moved forward and backward. A simple gripping mechanism can realize a series of operations from gripping food to retracting the first gripping member.

Further, in the meal support device according to the present invention, the gripping mechanism vertically detects a predetermined distance from the gripping position by the detection signal of the gripping detecting unit which detects that the first gripping member has moved to the gripping position where the first gripping member has gripped the food. To move. Therefore, since the gripping mechanism that grips the food does not come into contact with other food, it is possible to prevent scattering of peripheral food other than the desired food.

Further, in the meal support apparatus according to the present invention, when the first gripping member moves on the forward trajectory by the force applying section, the gripping force is strengthened as the first gripping member moves. Therefore, since a gripping force suitable for gripping food is obtained, the gripped food can be conveyed without spilling. Further, when the first gripping member moves on the backward trajectory by the same force applying portion, the meal assistance device weakens the gripping force with the movement. Therefore, since the operator does not generate an extra gripping force with the first gripping member and the second gripping member put in the mouth, the first gripping member is retracted without crushing the gripped food, and You can eat without injuring yourself.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a meal support device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a grip portion (grip mechanism).

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an operation of a grip portion (grip mechanism).

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an operation of a grip portion (grip mechanism).

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an operation of a grip portion (grip mechanism).

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an operation of a grip portion (grip mechanism).

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the operation of the grip portion (gripping mechanism).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a signal flow of the meal assistance device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the meal support device.

10A to 10D are diagrams showing the operation of the meal support device.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... control unit, 4 ... transport unit, 5 ... gripping unit (gripping mechanism), 7
... first gripping member, 7a ... tip, 8 ... second gripping member, 8a
... tip, 9 ... drive part, 10 ... biasing part, 16 ... moving member,
Reference numeral 17 ... Guide rail, 18 ... Support shaft, 21 ... Support rail, 26 ... Gripping detection unit, 50 ... Food.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 3C007 AS34 DS01 ES02 ET02 EU02                       EU08 EV04 HS27 KS29 KS31                       KV04 KX08                 4C341 LL01

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A gripping mechanism for gripping food, and a control section for controlling the operation of the gripping mechanism, wherein the gripping mechanism includes a first gripping member having an elongated shape and the first gripping member. A longitudinal second gripping member that is also provided side by side and fixed to the base, a moving member to which the base end of the first gripping member is fixed, and a movable member that can move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the first gripping member. A guide rail that supports the support rail, a support shaft that pivotally supports the guide rail to the base so that the first grip member contacts and separates from the second grip member, and is controlled by the control unit, A drive unit for moving the moving member forward and backward along the guide rail; a force applying unit for applying a predetermined gripping force for gripping the food between the first gripping member and the second gripping member; When the moving member moves in the tip direction, The guide rail is swung so as to resist the action of the force portion, and a grip track for grasping food by the action of the force applying portion at the grip position and the moving member while receiving the action of the force applying portion. A meal support device comprising: a support rail that guides a moving member so as to form a retreat trajectory that moves in the proximal direction. 2. The support rail is rotatably pivotally supported on the base, and when the moving member is released from the action of the force applying portion at the base end, the moving member is moved. The meal support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the meal support apparatus is rotated so as to be placed on a grip track. 3. A conveyance section that is controlled by the control section and that conveys the gripping mechanism, and a gripping position where the first gripping member grips food,
A grip detection unit that outputs a detection signal to the control unit, the control unit performing control of moving the grip mechanism in the vertical direction by a predetermined distance in response to the input of the detection signal, to the transport unit. The meal support device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. 4. The force applying part is composed of a tension spring having one end fixed to the base and the other end fixed to the moving member, and the gripping part is moved along with the movement of the first gripping member in the forward trajectory. The meal assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping force is weakened as the force is increased and the first gripping member moves along the backward trajectory.