JP2003210538A - Walking aid - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walking aid for persons with walking difficulties which achieves higher operability and safety with a smaller size and a less weight and limited fatigue in use along with excellent carrying and running performances and serves to realize active and healthy daily lives by producing a free walking ability. <P>SOLUTION: The walking aid for persons in walking comprised a truck 30 with wheels, a body 50 for supporting the walking persons, a body support oscillation member 7 which supports the body 50 on the truck 30 to be linked thereto being inclinable horizontally in the travel direction thereof, and an inclination control system for securing stable attitudes of the body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a walking aid for assisting walking. In particular, the present invention relates to a walking assist device that allows a person with a walking disability to walk freely, safely, and easily over a long period of time not only indoors but also on a general road or in a crowd of people.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in walking a person with a walking disability, it is very effective to share the weight of oneself with an assisting tool and reduce the weight on the leg. However, the existing walking aids, which are roughly classified into the push type and the armrest type, do not have sufficient functions to reduce the load of weight on the legs. In addition, the wheels are made larger to cope with obstacles on the road surface, and the width is made wider to improve left and right stability, resulting in larger size and weight, resulting in a lighter feeling and easy operation. As a result, it loses important basic functions such as portability and storability as an auxiliary tool for daily life. In addition, all of these seem to be aimed at walking around, and they lack the agility and operability to walk freely on a general road like a normal person.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION <B> The invention of the present application is to improve the drawbacks of the conventional walking aid, and an object thereof is to provide a walking aid that facilitates walking. <B> Another object of the present invention is to provide a walking aid that supports the front portion of the vehicle body and facilitates balance. <C> Another object of the present invention is to provide a stable walking aid without increasing the width of the vehicle body. <D> Another object of the present invention is to provide a walking aid that is stable even on slopes and is easy to walk. <E> The invention of the present application provides a walking aid that is small and lightweight, has high operability and safety, is highly portable, and has excellent running performance and little fatigue during use, so that it can walk freely. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a walking aid that helps to realize an active and healthy daily life. <F> Further, the invention of the present application improves the drawbacks of the conventional walking assist device, and enables a person with a walking disability to freely and lightly walk a long distance for a long time indoors or on the road like a normal person. By doing so, the purpose of the present invention is to realize an active and healthy daily life for people with walking disabilities who tend to be withdrawn.

<G> One of the concrete problems is to reduce the weight load on the waist and legs of a person with walking disabilities while walking by a walking aid, and to reduce the pain and fatigue of walking. It is possible to walk for a long time and a long time, and to walk efficiently with only one foot. <H> The second of the specific problems is to minimize the inclination of the auxiliary device even if the road surface is inclined to the left or right, and to enable safe traveling without the body falling. <3> The third of the concrete issues is to improve the risk prevention property by responding swiftly and avoiding obstacles on the road and opponents who meet each other. <N> The fourth of the concrete issues is to make it small and lightweight so that it can be walked not only indoors but also on general roads and can walk freely even if there is some crowd. <5> The fifth of the specific issues is to provide the necessary brakes for running, a reverse-travel prevention device that prevents the walking aid from going backward when going uphill, and a brake fixing device when stopped. It is to improve safety and operability accordingly.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a walking assist device for assisting walking of a pedestrian, a trolley to which wheels are attached, a vehicle body supporting a pedestrian, and a vehicle body near the front center of the trolley. A vehicle body support swing member that supports the vicinity of the center of the front part and is connected so as to be tiltable to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction, a left and right grip frame that can move up and down with respect to the vehicle body, and a car and the left and right grip frames The walking assist device is characterized in that it is provided with left and right tilt control rods. A second aspect of the present invention is the walking assist device according to the above-described item 1, wherein the left and right grip frames are rotatably attached to a rear portion of the vehicle body. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the walking assist device according to the first aspect, a grip connecting rod that is rotatably connected to the distal end portions of the left and right grip frames is provided, and the vicinity of the center of the grip connecting rod rotates near the center of the vehicle body. It is a walking aid characterized by being connected as much as possible. A fourth aspect of the present invention is the walking assist device according to the above-mentioned item 1, wherein the vehicle body is provided with left and right armpit supports that support the side of a pedestrian.

[0006]

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION <B> Concrete Example 1 As a more specific example, one of the basic examples of the present invention is that the weight of the armpit is put on the armpit in order to reduce the weight burden on the foot of the pedestrian. That is, the crutch method that can be stored is adopted. To walk on the crutches, apply both sides to the armpits of the crutches, grasp the grips with both hands, integrate the cane as a substitute for your own foot, put out the cane instead of stepping forward, deposit the weight on the armpit, Using the tip of the cane as a fulcrum, perform a rear kick with the leg on the unaffected side, move the upper end of the cane forward, and at the same time contract the leg away from the ground, leave the whole body on the armpit and hang it in the air. It is a walking method that advances one step by moving. Even when using this device, you can reduce the weight load on your feet by putting your armpit against your armpit, grasping the grip to integrate your body with the vehicle body, and walking as if you are using a walking aid instead of a cane. Also, it is possible to walk with only one foot, and the walking efficiency is high, and it is possible to walk a long distance for a long time.

<B> Concrete Example 2 The second of the basic examples of the present invention is that a vehicle body supporting and oscillating member is provided between the carriage and the vehicle body to provide a vehicle body oscillating mechanism. That is, the walking aid has a structure in which the wheels smoothly run and the influence from the road surface is reduced.
Especially when traveling on a road surface that is inclined to the left and right, a swing mechanism with a vehicle body supporting swing member is provided between the bogie and the vehicle body so as to prevent the vehicle body from leaning to improve traveling stability and safety. is there. In the case of a vehicle body without a swing mechanism, Fig. 4 (1)
As shown in (a), the left and right inclination of the road surface causes the vehicle body to lean, and the body inside the vehicle body is also pushed by the vehicle body and leans toward the valley side, resulting in an unstable and oblique posture and a fall. There is a danger, and the instrument is designed to prevent this. That is, the carriage is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), the vehicle leans in accordance with the inclination of the road, but the vehicle body swings due to the action of the vehicle body supporting and swinging member at the joint between the truck and the vehicle body to block the leaning of the vehicle body coming from the truck. This structure allows pedestrians to walk smoothly while maintaining an upright posture even on a sloped road surface.
The center of gravity is always in the center of the car body, and it is possible to avoid the risk of rollover of the car body.

Even on a flat road surface, there is a risk that the vehicle body will tilt due to body fluctuations. However, in the wagon type in which the wheels and the vehicle body are integrated, the vehicle will lean laterally as shown in FIG. 4 (2) (a). The force of tilting directly tilts the vehicle body and lifts one wheel, whereas in
As shown in (b), the leaning of the vehicle body is limited to the leaning of only the vehicle body on the vehicle body supporting and swinging member, and the fluctuation does not reach the dolly which is in contact with the road surface, and stability is maintained. Note that FIG.
(1) (a) to (2) (a) show problems, and FIG.
(1) (b) to (2) (b) show the solution of the present invention.

<C> Concrete Example 3 The third of the basic examples of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body inclination control system capable of directly grasping the inclination of the vehicle body and holding the vehicle body upright. That is, when the vehicle body is tilted with respect to the dolly, the distance between the dolly frame and the body frame on the left and right changes. Therefore, the change is directly captured and immediately reported to the user, so that the user can take immediate action. As shown in FIG. 1, this system includes a grip frame 12 having a rotary connecting portion A20 which is a connecting point between the grip frame 12 and the rear vehicle body supporting frame 9 as a base point, and a connecting point between the bogie frame 3 and the tilt control rod 16. The tilt control rod 16 having the rotary connecting portion B21 as a base point is rotatably connected to the rotary connecting portion C22 that is a connecting point between the grip frame and the tilt controlling rod. The structure in which the change in the distance between the carriage and the vehicle body can be transmitted to the grip 13 through the tilt control rod by the action of the lever. With this structure, the body tilts to the left and right,
That is, when the distance between the bogie frame and the body frame approaches, the tip of the grip moves upward, and on the opposite side, the distance between the bogie frame and the body frame increases, so that the tip of the grip moves downward and the user tilts the body. It is a system that can directly convey.

<D> Concrete Example 4 The fourth of the basic examples of the present invention is, as shown in FIG. 1, a configuration in which the left and right grip tips and both ends of the grip connecting rod 14 are rotatable by rotary connecting shaft portions R23, 23. The grip connecting rod holding frame 15 at the center of the grip connecting rod.
This is because the vertical movement of the left and right grips is interlocked with each other by rotatably connecting with the central rotary shaft portion 24 at the tip of the. As a result, the left and right grips have an integral structure with the grip connecting rod holding frame 15 as a fulcrum, so that the sensor function that is accurate and sensitive to vehicle body inclination is improved, and the grips are operated,
The vehicle body posture can be controlled more reliably and efficiently. In addition, since the left and right grips are connected to each other to make the structure structurally robust, the controllability of the device by the grips is improved.

Equipped with caster type front wheels,
Since the user and the vehicle body are integrated by the armrest and the grip, the direction can be easily changed without using the steering device. Also, because it is small and lightweight,
For obstacles on the road such as steps and muddy roads, it is possible for people with mild disabilities to avoid them by lifting the walking aid with a grip. The vehicle body has an open rear structure. Not only does this make it easier to wear this device, but even if you encounter an unexpected problem, such as avoiding a person you meet, you can let go of the walking aid and let your body escape from the rear of the open car body. It makes things easier and more secure.

[0012] In contrast to the existing walking aids which try to secure the lateral stability by widening the vehicle body width, this device drastically reduces the vehicle body width by installing the swing mechanism and the vehicle body tilt control system. Is possible. The reduction of the vehicle body width plays a major role in reducing the size, weight, portability and storability, and expanding the range of use in daily life.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<A> Walking Assist Device The walking assist device is a device for assisting walking. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the walking assist device is mainly composed of a trolley 30 and a vehicle body 50 on the trolley 30. Has two parts. The trolley is supported by the wheels and is designed to accurately grasp the road surface and perform stable traveling. The vehicle body 50 is designed so that a pedestrian can walk safely while maintaining a natural walking posture. The vehicle body 50 is connected to the carriage 30 by the vehicle body support swing member 7. The vehicle body supporting and swinging member 7 can block the influence of the left and right inclination of the road surface of the carriage 30. With this configuration, the walking aid can integrate the body and the walking aid by the crutch method. If necessary, the vehicle body 50 may be connected to the carriage 30 with an elastic material such as a spring or a deformable member (not shown). For example, the vehicle body 50 and the rear portion of the truck 30 are connected by a spring.

<B> Trolley The trolley 30 supports the walking aid facing the road surface. The dolly 30 can walk with the user inside.
Further, it has a concave shape (in a plan view) so that it can be easily separated from the walking aid, that is, the rear part has a concave open structure, for example, a U-shaped bogie frame composed of a front part, a left side part and a right side part. Have three. The trolley 30 has wheels, for example, caster-type front wheels 1 and 1 mounted on both left and right front lower parts, and rear wheels 2 and 2 mounted on left and right rear lower parts. Is equipped with. The trolley frame 3 is reinforced by attaching a trolley reinforcement frame 4 to the front position as needed. Note that the front, rear, left, and right means the state viewed by the user when moving forward using a walking aid.

<C> Vehicle Body The vehicle body 50 supports the user, and is installed on the trolley 30 via the vehicle body supporting swing member 7. The vehicle body 50 is
A vehicle body frame 5, a front vehicle body support frame 8, a rear vehicle body support frame 9, a side support frame 10, grip frames 12-1, 12-2 and the like are provided. The vehicle body 50 has a concave shape (in a plan view) so that a user can walk inside and can easily separate from the auxiliary device, that is,
The rear part has a concave open structure. The body frame 5 is
For example, the base has a shape substantially corresponding to that of the carriage frame 3. Front body support frame 8 and rear body support frame 9
Is extended and fixed on the body frame 5. The front vehicle body support frame 8 is, for example, one or two or more. By disposing the front vehicle body support frame 8 at the front portion of the vehicle body frame 5, it is possible to prevent contact with other members. The rear vehicle body support frame 9 is arranged at the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 5.
The number of the rear vehicle body support frames 9 may be appropriately selected depending on the strength and the like. The armpit support frame 10 is attached to the upper part of the front vehicle body support frame 8 and the rear vehicle body support frame 9. Armpit pads 11, 1 separately for the left and right sides of the armpit frame 10
Attach 1.

<D> Vehicle Body Support Swing Member The vehicle body support swing member 7 is a member for connecting the carriage 30 and the vehicle body 50, and is so connected that the vehicle body 50 swings left and right with respect to the carriage 30. is there. The vehicle body support swing member 7 is
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a lower portion 72 and an upper portion 71 are provided. The lower part 72 and the upper part 71 each have a cavity. By inserting the shaft portion 73 into the hollow portion, the lower portion 7
2 and the upper part 71 are connected. The vehicle body 50 can swing to the left and right with respect to the carriage 30 around the shaft portion 73 as viewed from the front. The lower portion 72 is attached to the bogie frame 3. Preferably, the lower portion 72 of the vehicle body supporting / swinging member 7 straddles the bogie frame 3 and the bogie reinforcing frame 4,
It is attached to the central part. The upper portion 71 is the body frame 5
Attached to. Preferably, the upper portion 71 of the vehicle body supporting / swinging member 7 straddles the vehicle body frame 5 and the vehicle body reinforcing frame 6 and is mounted in the central portion thereof. The vehicle body support swing member 7 and its surroundings will bear the weight of the vehicle body 50 and the pedestrian, and in particular, a member having sufficient strength to prevent damage and deformation against the force pushing up the shaft portion 73 from below. Good to use.

<E> Armpit support The armpit support 11 is put on the armpit of a pedestrian to support the body, and is attached to the upper part of the armpit support frame 10 on the left and right. In some cases, the armpit pad 11 may bear the entire weight of the user, and it is preferable that the armpit pad 11 has sufficient size and flexibility so that the armpit of the user is not hurt at that time.

<F> Grip frame and tilt control rod The grip frame stably controls the walking aid. The grip frame can be used by the user to hold and balance the body and the walking aid. At least a part of the grip frame is attached to the vehicle body 50 so as to be vertically movable. The grip frame is attached, for example, rotatably up and down at the rear part of the vehicle body. The grip frame is the left grip frame 12
-2 and the right grip frame 12-1. Each grip frame is rotatably connected to and supported by the rotary connecting portions A20, 20 of the left and right rear body supporting frames. Therefore, the front part of the grip frame can move up and down with the rotation connecting part A20 as a fulcrum. A right grip 13-1 and a left grip 13-2, which the user grips, are provided at the front of each grip frame. The tips of both grips are rotatably connected to each other by rotating shaft tools R23, 23 by the grip connecting rod 14, if necessary. Further, the grip connecting rod 14 is rotatably connected to the central rotating shaft portion 24 in the central portion of the grip connecting rod holding frame 15.
As a result, the left and right grip frames are reinforced and the walking aid is easily balanced.

The tilt control rod 16 is the grip frame 12.
And the carriage frame 3 are connected. The tilt control rod is connected to the rotary connecting portion C22 in the middle of the grip frame and is connected to the rotary connecting portion B21 in the middle of the truck frame. Each of these connections is preferably rotatably connected. The tilt control rods are provided on the left and right of the walking assist device. The left tilt control rod 16-2 is the left grip frame 12
-2 is connected to the left side of the bogie frame 3, and the right tilt control rod 16-1 is connected to the right grip frame 12-1 and the right side of the bogie frame 3.

When the vehicle body 50 leans to the left with respect to the carriage 30, the front part of the left grip frame 12-2 moves upward and the front part of the right grip frame 12-1 moves downward. When the vehicle body 50 leans to the right with respect to the carriage 30, the front part of the right grip frame 12-1 moves upward and the front part of the left grip frame 12-2 moves downward. Thus, when the vehicle body 50 leans to the left and right with respect to the carriage 30, the front portion of the left grip frame 12-2 and the front portion of the right grip frame 12-1 move to the opposite side of the leaning of the vehicle body. That is, when the vehicle body leans to the left and right with respect to the carriage, the tip portions of the left and right grip frames lean in the opposite direction to the vehicle body.

<G> Grip connecting rod The grip connecting rod 14 connects the front part of the left grip frame 12-2 and the front part of the right grip frame 12-1. The grip connecting rod 14 may be rotatably connected to each grip frame by the rotary shaft tools R23, 23. The central portion of the grip connecting rod 14 may be rotatably supported by the grip connecting rod holding frame 15 by the central rotating shaft tool 24. In that case, the grip connecting rod 14 rotates about the central rotating shaft tool 24 on the grip connecting rod supporting frame with respect to the vertical movement of the left and right grip frames, thereby connecting the vertical movements of the left and right grip frames together with the left and right movements. It serves to reinforce the strength of the grip frame.

The rotating shaft tool R23 has a shaft connected to the grip mounted rotatably on the grip frame, and a bearing connected to the grip connecting rod to rotatably connect the two. It is a thing. The inner surface of the bearing part and a part of the outer surface of the shaft part each have a convex bulge, and the user twists and rotates the grip to bring the two convex parts into contact with each other, so that the gap between the grip and the grip connecting rod is increased. The rotation of can be stopped and fixed. By this operation, the grip does not move up and down, and the swing between the carriage and the vehicle body is stopped.

The central rotary shaft tool 24 has a bearing portion on the side connected to the grip connecting rod and a shaft portion on the side connected to the grip connecting rod support frame to rotatably support both. The rotational movement of both can be freely controlled by tightening the screws mounted on the shaft-side tip portion, and it is possible to adjust the swing of the vehicle body according to the road conditions.

<H> Brake and Brake Lever The brake 19 applies braking force to the wheels, and is attached to the rear wheels 2 and 2, for example. The brake 19 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the brake lever 17 attached to the grip 13 operates through the brake wire 18. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the brakes 19 and 19 can prevent an unintended direction change due to a one-sided effect of the brakes by simultaneously operating both wheels 2 and 2 with one of the left and right levers 17. Further, the brake lever 17 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
The operation of the vehicle body can be easily controlled by changing the operation depending on the adjustment of 7.

That is, in the free first position I in which the brake lever 17 is not pulled at all, the wheel can freely rotate, that is, can move forward and backward. In the second position II where the brake lever 17 is slightly pulled, the reverse rotation of the wheels can be prevented, that is, the reverse movement can be prevented while the vehicle moves forward but does not move backward.
In the third position III where the lever is further pulled, the brake is operated and the control of the traveling speed and the stop can be selectively operated. Further, when the vehicle is stopped for a long time, the wheel can be fixed while the wheel is being braked by moving the stop lever provided separately while pulling the lever to the third braking position. The brake is released by moving the stop lever in the release direction.

The mechanism and operation system of the walking aid of the present invention will be described below.

<A> Vehicle Body Tilt Control System (1) In this system, for example, in FIG. 7, a grip frame 12 starting from a rotary connecting portion A20 which is a connecting point between the rear vehicle body supporting frame 9 and the grip frame 12, The tilt control rod 16 starting from the rotary connecting portion B21 which is the connecting point between the trolley frame 3 and the tilt controlling rod 16 is rotatable with the rotary connecting portion C22 which is the connecting point between the grip frame 12 and the tilt controlling rod 16. It is an interlocking system configured by connecting in various forms. A system in which, when the vehicle body leans to the left and right in the traveling direction with respect to the carriage, the change in the distance between the frames of the carriage and the vehicle body is transmitted to the grip tip portion through the rotation coupling portion C22 on the grip frame and moves up and down by the action of the lever. Is.

FIG. 7 shows the correspondence of the system when the distance between the truck frame 3 and the vehicle body frame 5 on the right side in the traveling direction is reduced. One of the causes of such a reduction in the distance between the bogie frame and the body frame is that the body of the user leans to the right while leaning on the vehicle body while walking, and the body leans to the right. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle body leans to the right, the right grip frame 12-
The rotation connecting part A20, which is the base point of 1, moves downward to reduce the distance from the bogie frame 3, but the rotation connecting part C22 in the middle of the grip frame is inclined with the rotation connecting part B21 in the middle of the bogie frame. Since it is directly connected by the control rod, its height does not change, and as a result, the right grip frame 12-1 pushes up the right grip 13-1 with the rotation connecting portion C22 as a fulcrum. On the left side of the vehicle body, since the distance between the rotary connecting portion A20 and the bogie frame 3 is inversely increased, the left grip 13-2 moves downward, as shown in FIG. The user recognizes the inclination of his body by such a vertical movement of the grip, and pushes down the rising grip and pulls up the falling grip to restore the posture and maintain the body upright. it can.

In this way, the system in which the grip moves up and down plays the role of warning the user that the vehicle body is not upright. The second is a grip operation performed to restore the posture of the vehicle body when the user's fall down causes the posture of the body to regain its posture. Thirdly, the fact that the grip on the side that wants to be supported and stretched is about to rise and the grip on the side that is desired to be supported and to be grasped is about to be lowered makes the re-positioning operation more efficient.

At this time, the force required to operate the grip is that the rotary connecting portion C22 on the grip frame has a rotary connecting portion A20.
If the distance is closer, less force is required, but the control efficiency is reduced, and if the space between the two is increased in order to improve the control efficiency, a larger force is required. By simultaneously raising and lowering the left and right grips, the force will be doubled. By appropriately deciding the position of the rotary connecting portion C22, the structure is adapted so that it can be used even by an elderly person who has weakened his arm strength or grip strength.

<B> Vehicle body inclination control system (2) Another cause of the change in the distance between the frame of the bogie and the vehicle body is that the road surface leans to the left and right even when the vehicle body is kept upright. It is a phenomenon that occurs when you are. At this time, the grip moves vertically due to the inclination of the road surface. If the user recognizes that the vertical movement is caused by the inclination of the road surface, the user does not have to intentionally perform a quick grip operation. This device, which uses caster-type front wheels, tends to automatically set the course to the lower side of the slope when it approaches the slope, and the user approaches the slope of the road due to the vertical movement of the grip and the change in the direction of the vehicle body. I can know that.

In order to keep going straight on a sloping road surface, it is necessary to control the orientation of the vehicle body using the entire body, but at the same time, simply holding the grip that naturally moves up and down with the inclination. Instead, by further applying a force to the grip and slightly leaning the vehicle body on the side opposite to the road surface inclination, the directionality is improved and stable walking becomes possible.

<C> Grip interlocking system Both grips 13, 13 are connected to the grip connecting rod 14 at their tips by rotary shafts R23, 23 as shown in FIGS. The central part of the above is rotatably mounted by the central rotary shaft part 24 on the grip connecting rod holding frame 15. As a result, the inclination of the vehicle body is transmitted to the grip tip portion and simultaneously transmitted to the opposite grip tip portion through the grip connecting rod at the same time. Even if there is no grip connecting rod, mechanically the structure is such that if one grip goes up, the opposite grip goes down, but the structural weakness of the entire car body and the certainty of grip operation by the user etc. Considering this, the fact that both grips directly interlock with each other through the connecting rod is superior in terms of force transmission, accuracy, and efficiency. For example, it is also advantageous that both grip operations can be directly and integrally performed by one grip operation using the dominant arm, and it is also good in terms of enhancing the integrity of the user and the vehicle body.

The method of using the walking aid of the present invention will be described below.

<A> Walking First, a pedestrian enters the inside of the vehicle body and puts both armpits under the armpit 11
After putting the weight on the armpit, putting the weight on the armpit and then gripping the grip 13 to integrate the body with the walking aid, select the optimal walking posture according to the physical condition of the pedestrian and the road surface. . Slowly walk with both feet or one foot while standing upright, or with a forward leaning posture, with a backward leaning posture on a front-lowering road surface, in some cases with light braking, on a frontally rising road surface. Various walking methods are possible, such as walking in a forward leaning posture or while activating the function of preventing reverse rotation.

<B> Crutch walking In crutch walking, put both arms on the armpits, grasp the grips with both hands, put the cane forward instead of the defective foot, and use the tip of the landed cane as a fulcrum to support your weight. Place it on the armpit, lean forward and kick the road backward with the good foot, and move the upper end of the cane forward while keeping the lower half of the body suspended above the armpit by reaction, and at the stage when the movement is over. It is a walking method that lands and takes a step forward. When walking with this device, the armpits 11 and 1
It is similar to walking with a crutch in that the user walks with his / her weight on, gripping the grips 13, 13 with both hands and integrating with the body. However, in the middle position where one step is taken, crutches become extremely unstable for a moment, while
In the case of this device, it is a system with excellent stability in that it can keep walking while wearing weight all the time. That is, the body is held in this device and the vehicle body is moved forward by leaning forward, and when the legs are fully extended, the legs are contracted and released from the ground. It's a way to wait and wait for landing to take a step forward.

According to this walking method, the vehicle body 50 has the front wheels 1,
Since it is supported by the four wheels of 1 and the rear wheels 2 and 2 and is stable, it does not have an unstable posture like walking on a crutch even in the same suspended state, and fatigue of the legs due to driving is small. It is possible to walk with only one leg while keeping the total weight in the armpit. Depending on the case, it is possible to repeatedly push the back with the forefoot while keeping the body suspended on the armpit and then drive the device in small steps to walk, or use the whole body to lean forward and walk to the device. It is also possible to increase acceleration and gain speed and distance, and there are many other possible uses depending on the degree of obstacles and road surface conditions. During this period, the agile grip operation by the vehicle body tilt control system of the present invention plays an important role in overcoming changes in the road surface, ensuring the traveling direction, and traveling while maintaining a stable vehicle body posture.

<C> Bending forward: Insert both arms into the armpits 11 and 11 to deposit the weight, grip the grips 13 and 13 with both hands, and lean forward with the walking aid, and push backward with the front legs. To alternate between left and right to propel the instrument. A large part of the weight is on the walking aid, and walking and running of the vehicle body proceed in an integrated manner, so foot fatigue and joint pain are greatly reduced, enabling efficient walking. . The caster-type front wheels 1 and 1 play a role in turning, but the twisting of the body integrated with the vehicle body naturally conveys the direction of travel to the vehicle body, enabling accurate and accurate direction retention and direction change. Become. It can be used as if it were a walking four-wheeled bicycle that uses forward leaning as a driving force and can be operated freely by the sides and hands.

<D> Fluctuating Walking In order to compensate for the decreased sense of equilibrium, it is possible to walk without using the fluctuation of the body. Armpit support 11, 11
If you put your weight on the body, you will lose the sense of equilibrium and you will be unable to walk while maintaining a sense of equilibrium, unlike when you are walking upright. The more you put in your weight, the slower the balance-maintaining action. Rather, it is more natural and less fatigue to walk the body by moving the weight (fluctuation) to the left and right, swinging to the right, pushing the back with the right foot, and swinging to the left, and pushing with the left foot. Is the way. The reason why such a walking method while fluctuating can be executed without difficulty is made possible by the support system by the vehicle body support swing member 7 and the vehicle body tilt control system. During this time, the grips 13, 13 that move rhythmically lightly up and down need only be put on the hands, and it is sufficient to deal with them only when abnormal up and down movements are made. In this case, the caster-type front wheels 1 and 1 are also interlocked with each other and are slightly shaken to the left and right, and the instrument also moves forward while making a slight meander.

<E> A slope walking aid usually has a high center of gravity of the vehicle body and tends to be unstable. If the width of the vehicle body is widened as a countermeasure against this, the vehicle body becomes large and there is a limitation in terms of use. It is a major issue to improve the stability of the road surface to the left and right while keeping the vehicle width small. FIG. 7 shows the correspondence of the system on the left inclined surface toward the traveling direction. As long as the vehicle body 50 is upright, the left grip 13-2 on the valley side moves downward and the right grip 13-1 on the mountain side moves upward. It is possible to secure a stable traveling direction and maintain a more stable walking posture by performing a grip operation so as to incline the vehicle body to the mountain side while holding the vertically moved grip.

On the trolley inclined by the road surface, the car body 5
It is the most dangerous case assumed that the vehicle body is stable when 0 is more than that inclination. This is a case where the inclination of the vehicle body as shown in FIG. 7 occurs on the right inclined surface. At this time, the frame interval between the trolley 30 on the right side where the vehicle body 50 is inclined and the vehicle body 50 is reduced, and the system responds by raising the right grip 13-1 on the valley side and lowering the left grip 13-2 on the mountain side. In this case, the user suddenly recognizes that the operation of this grip is due to the leaning of the body into the vehicle body, and not only pushes down the lifted grip and raises the lowered grip, but also restores the upright posture of the vehicle body. You just have to continue the grip operation. It is thought that this equipment can prevent such a situation by equipping the caster type front wheels and the body tilt control system.

The caster type wheel has a characteristic of automatically pointing in the direction of low inclination. Therefore, when the caster type is used as the front wheel, the sloped surface has a very characteristic operation. That is, when the truck 30 approaches the slope, the front wheels 1, 1 are oriented in a lower direction and try to turn to the side, but the rear wheels 2, 2 try to move forward as before, The combined force of the movements of 1, 1 and the movements of the rear wheels 2, 2 advances diagonally downward. This sudden change of course serves to warn the user that the vehicle body 50 has approached the slope before the vehicle body 50 largely tilts on the slope. At this point, the instrument is moving diagonally forward, so the influence of the lean is mitigated and the lean of the car body is still small, which can avoid a dangerous situation. At this time, not only to keep the grip that moved up and down by the inclination as it is, but also to keep the walking posture on the sloped road in a more stable posture and to move the caster type front wheels, which tend to be directed in a lower direction, straight It is effective to operate the grip so that the posture opposite to the slightly inclined can be maintained.

<F> Total system that works on the safety side This device is a system in which the user's quick and flicking motion in order to re-tilt the body acts in a direction that helps stabilize the vehicle body. That is, when walking on a slope, the carriage 3
Although 0 is inclined along the inclination, the user tries to keep the vehicle body 50 upright and continue stable walking. In this case, the grip on the mountain side goes up and the grip on the valley side goes down, but the degree depends on the inclination of the road surface, and the user confirms the degree of inclination of the road surface by the up and down degree of both grips to be grasped. While operating in a safe direction, you can continue walking. Further, in such a case, the body is likely to fall toward the valley side for a sudden reason, and it is the most dangerous case that the body 50 falls down toward the valley side. Naturally, the user exerts a force on the grip on the valley side and tries to hang up and wake up. At that time, the grip to be gripped is slightly lower than the upright position on the valley side depending on the inclination immediately before the sudden fall.
If a sudden collapse of the vehicle body 50 occurs and the vehicle body 50 is further tilted to the valley side, the grip of the vehicle body 50 is exerted by the action of the tilt control rod 16.
Seen from the side, it will move greatly upward. This operation is an operation that supports the movement of the arm that stretches the grip by strengthening the grip just in order to recover the fall, and it is an extremely effective system for erecting the vehicle body and avoiding the risk of rollover.

Further, when the caster type front wheels swiftly change the course to a low slope side when approaching a sloped road surface, it fulfills an excellent sensor function against changes in road surface conditions and, at the same time, makes a sharp slope in the vehicle body. The system is designed to ease the risk of rollover of the vehicle because it is directed diagonally forward, which rarely brings.

<G> Brake operation By adjusting the pulling amount of the brake lever 17 of the brake 19 as shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle can be freely controlled and run even on level ground or on a slope, and when the vehicle is stopped, the brake is fixed to allow natural travel. It is possible to easily perform multi-purpose control according to the situation, such as preventing slipping out of the vehicle. In particular, when climbing a slope, the vehicle body naturally tries to move backward due to gravity, so in order to prevent this, it is necessary to constantly apply a pushing force. In order for a disabled person without physical strength to operate the walking aid smoothly on an uphill road and to walk without fatigue, it is necessary to prevent the vehicle body from sliding backwards.
At this time, this is made possible by actuating the reverse rotation preventing claw by gently pulling the brake lever (second position). In order to release the reverse rotation preventing mechanism, the brake lever can be released by further pulling the brake lever (third position) and releasing the lever.

<H> Stopping When the vehicle is stopped for a long time, as shown in FIG. 6, while the brake lever is pulled to the brake position of the third position, a separately provided stop lever is moved to brake the wheels. Fix as it is. The brake is released by moving the stop lever in the release direction.

[0048]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (D)

<A> Grip frame The embodiment (No. 2) of the grip frame 12 is partially different from the embodiment (No. 1) in the structure of the grip frame 12. Other than that, the grip frame 12 may have the same structure. it can. The grip frame 12 of the embodiment (d) is fixed to the bogie frame. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, both ends of the grip frame 12 are directly connected and fixed to the bogie frame. In the embodiment (part 1) of the invention, the grip frame 12 is connected to the rear vehicle body support frame, while the grip frame 12 has a U shape as shown in FIG. The feature is that the grip frame is directly connected and fixed to the bogie frame.

The method of using the walking aid of the embodiment (No. 2) of the present invention will be described below.

<B> Crutch walking For crutch walking, the weight should be stored in the armpit from the beginning, the armpit should be used as a force point, and the propulsion force by kicking the back of the foot should be used to move forward and the armpit should be entrusted to the armpit. However, by putting weight on the grip while having a role to save the vibration of the car body on the side, and using the grip as a focus point to obtain propulsive force mainly by using the power of the arm, further on the side and the arm respectively There is a method of distributing weight and distributing it to obtain propulsive force with the force of both legs and arms.
The grip is integrated with the dolly and has a robust structure, which makes it suitable for walking methods that put more weight on the grip. It is possible to walk a long distance for a long time by reducing the fatigue level by moving the weight to the armpit.

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION <A> The present invention improves the drawbacks of the conventional walking aids, and can provide a walking aid that facilitates walking. <B> In addition, according to the invention of the present application, the fulcrum of the vehicle body is set at one location,
It is possible to provide a walking aid that is easy to balance. <C> Further, the present invention can provide a walking assist device that is stable on a slope and easy to walk due to the vehicle body tilt control system. <D> Further, the present invention provides a walking aid with small size and light weight, high operability, high safety, portability, and excellent running performance and less fatigue during use, and allows free walking and activity. It is possible to provide a walking aid that is useful for achieving a healthy and healthy daily life. <E> The invention of the present application is to improve the drawbacks of the conventional walking assist device so that a person with a walking disability can freely and lightly walk a long distance for a long time indoors or on the road like a normal person. By doing so, it is possible to realize an active and healthy daily life for people with walking disabilities who tend to be withdrawn.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire structure.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the entire structure.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the entire structure.

FIG. 4 is a corresponding view of a vehicle body support swing member.

FIG. 5 Structure of vehicle body supporting swing member

[Figure 6] Multipurpose brake structure diagram

FIG. 7 is an operation diagram of a vehicle body tilt control system.

[Figure 8] Bogie / grip integrated structure diagram

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... front wheel, 2 ... rear wheel, 3 ... bogie frame,
4 ... Bogie reinforcing frame, 5 ... Body frame, 6
... Vehicle reinforcement frame, 7 ... Vehicle body support swing member,
71 ... upper part, 72 ... lower part, 73 ... shaft part, 8 ...
..Front body support frame, 9 ... Rear body support frame, 10 ... Side support frame 11 ... Side support, 1
2-1 ... Right grip frame, 12-2 ... Left grip frame, 13-1 ... Right grip, 13-2 ... Left grip, 14 ... Grip connecting rod, 15 ... Grip connecting rod holding Frame, 16-1 ... right tilt control rod, 16-2 ... left tilt control rod, 17 ... brake lever, 18 ... brake wire, 19 ... brake,
20 ... Rotational connection A, 21 ... Rotational connection B, 2
2 ... Rotating connecting portion C, 23 ... Rotating shaft portion R, 24 ...
..Central rotating shafts, 30..Bogies, 50 ..

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A walking assist device for assisting walking of a pedestrian, comprising a trolley to which wheels are attached, and a vehicle body which supports the pedestrian.
A vehicle body support swing member that supports the vicinity of the center of the front portion of the vehicle body near the center of the front portion of the bogie and that is connected so as to be tiltable to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction, and left and right grip frames that can move up and down with respect to the vehicle body, A walking aid, comprising left and right tilt control rods that connect a dolly and left and right grip frames. 2. The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein the left and right grip frames are rotatably attached to a rear portion of the vehicle body. 3. The walking assist device according to claim 1, further comprising a grip connecting rod that is rotatably connected to the distal end portions of the left and right grip frames, and the vicinity of the center of the grip connecting rod is rotatable near the center of the vehicle body. A walking aid characterized by being connected. 4. The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein the left and right grip frames are respectively fixed to the carriage. 5. The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle body is provided with left and right armpit supports that support the side of a pedestrian.