JP2005118331A - Ferrule apparatus for walking stick - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ferrule apparatus for a walking stick which can stably be used at any place by a user of the walking stick such as an elderly person, a physically handicapped person. <P>SOLUTION: The ferrule apparatus 3 which is connected with a walking stick main body 2 and supports a load from the user by grounding is provided with: a plurality of projecting and grounding parts 8 which project toward a grounding surface; and an elastic connection part 6 flexibly connecting the projecting and grounding parts 8 with the main body 2. The lower-end grounding points of the plurality of projecting and grounding parts 8 are located on the same plane and at a position separated from the centroid axis of the walking stick. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a cane sticking device used by an elderly person, a physically handicapped person or the like.

Conventionally, many more stable canes have been proposed when the above-mentioned people use a cane to walk or the like.

  For example, the cane described in Patent Document 1 has a grounding part that is grounded to the ground connected to the base of the cane body via a flexible joint, and the grounding part has a size that can hold the cane body in a vertical state. Yes. With this configuration, when the cane is grounded, the relative angle between the grounding portion and the cane body can be freely changed by the flexible joint being flexibly deformed. Therefore, the grounding portion can make the lower surface of the grounding portion come into surface contact with the ground when the cane is lowered on the horizontal ground by forming the lower surface into a planar shape. A slip stopper is formed on the lower surface of the grounding portion to improve the frictional force and to stabilize the support.

  However, the cane becomes a problem when it is not a plane like a staircase. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the grounding portion 100 is grounded on the upper surface a of the staircase, if the cane user puts weight on the cane, the flexible joint (elastic connecting portion) 101 is deformed, and the upper step of the staircase. In the surface a, the grounding portion 100 is in line contact with the corner portion c. As a result, when the cane user puts weight on the cane, the grounding unit 100 is applied with force from the top to the corner 103, and the grounding unit 100 easily slips on the corner 103. Cane users have a higher risk of rollover. In other words, even if the bottom surface of the grounding portion 100 is planar, there is a problem that the grounding surface such as stairs cannot be grounded stably.

  In particular, when using a crutch, the grounding part of the crutch is grounded to the front ground, and the weight shift of the crutch with the weight of the cane user is performed with this grounding point as a fulcrum. The nature is even higher.

  If the lower surface of the ground contact part of the crutch is flat, if the horizontal surface to land on the staircase is narrow, the user of the cane should land on the ground that more than half of the ground contact part touches the horizontal surface of the staircase. There is a need. If the cane user tries to move his / her weight while the corner portion is in contact with the grounding portion, the grounding portion slips and is dangerous.

In this way, by making the grounding portion planar, it becomes dangerous in the case where it is used particularly where the stairs and the grounding surface are narrow.
JP 2003-153716 A

  The present invention provides a cane stroking device that can be used stably regardless of where a cane user such as an elderly person or a disabled person uses it.

  The present invention is a stone striking device that is connected to a cane body and grounds to support a load from a cane user, and includes a plurality of projecting grounding parts that project toward the grounding surface, a projecting grounding part, and a cane body. And a plurality of projecting grounding portions configured such that the lower end grounding points are located on the same plane and are away from the center of gravity axis of the cane. It is characterized by.

  When the mounting portion configured to attach the protruding grounding portion to the outside of the lower outer periphery of the elastic connecting portion is provided between the protruding grounding portion and the elastic connecting portion, the protruding grounding portion is sufficiently separated from the center of gravity axis of the cane. Can be mounted at a remote location. In addition, if the attachment portion is formed of a metal disk, it has a simple-shaped component structure, and the attachment structure becomes easy when a cover is provided.

  The protruding grounding portion is formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and the elastic material may be integrally formed with a metal core. Thereby, it is considered that the protruding grounding portion is not deformed excessively.

  The elastic connecting portion may be formed of rubber, a coil spring, a spring metal wire, or the like, or may be configured so as to be flexibly deformed, such as being integrally formed with a spring incorporated in a rubber material.

  Further, the protruding grounding portion is configured to be detachable from the stone thrusting device, and can be easily replaced in the event of breakage, wear, or the like.

  If the mounting portion is also configured to be detachable from the stone thrusting device, the entire plurality of protruding grounding portions can be replaced.

  Furthermore, when the attachment portion is removed from the stone thrusting device and the connection between the elastic connecting portion and the cane body is released, the elastic connecting portion can be removed and exchanged in response to fatigue of the rubber material.

  The stone thrusting device is preferably provided with a cover that closes the space formed around the mounting portion and an elastic connecting portion that protrudes from the lower end of the cane body. Protect the wand user from the members. The cover is made of a flexible sheet such as cloth or leather, and the upper part is detachably attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the wand body, and the lower part is configured to be in close contact with the outer periphery of the attaching part by a member such as a velcro tape. , Surrounding the space.

  In addition, the cane in which the stone sticking device of the present cane is used includes a cane such as a normal cane, a loftland clutch, an underarm clutch, and a platform cane used by elderly people, in addition to crutches.

  According to the present invention, by using the elastic connecting portion, the elastic connecting portion bends and deforms according to the shape of the grounding surface, and almost all the projecting grounding portions can contact the ground and support the cane, Stable grounding becomes possible.

  Furthermore, a space can be provided between the projecting grounding portions by forming a plurality of projecting grounding portions and forming the lower ends of all the projecting grounding portions away from the center of gravity axis of the cane. As a result, when the elastic connecting portion is bent and deformed, the convex and concave portions (corner portions) having an uneven shape can be inserted into the space. That is, the bending deformation in which the lower ends of substantially all the projecting grounding portions try to contact the ground is not hindered.

  As described above, the cane user uses the cane equipped with the above-described stone thrusting device, so that even when the grounding surface includes an inclined surface or irregularities such as stairs, the grounding surface is a horizontal surface. Can walk stably.

  In addition, the cane thrusting device of the above can support the cane body more reliably because the pressing force due to bending stress (moment) acts on the lower end of the projecting grounding part in addition to the pressing force of the cane even in point contact. can do.

  Further, at this time, if the entire projecting grounding portion is formed of an elastic member, the projecting grounding portion itself is flexibly deformed and bending stress acts when it is grounded to the ground, so that the cane body is supported more reliably. be able to. In this case, an elastic member is used for the protruding grounding portion in addition to the elastic connecting portion, and the impact mitigating effect is great.

  The above-mentioned stone thruster is particularly effective in the case of crutches. That is, since the cane user moves with his / her body weight, the elastic connecting portion can be more flexibly deformed, and bending stress can be applied to the protruding grounding portion without difficulty.

  In addition, even in an operation specific to crutches that moves while rotating with the ground contact point as a fulcrum, the elastic coupling portion is flexibly deformed corresponding to this operation, and the user can move the weight easily. . Therefore, it can be said that the stone thrusting device of the present invention provided with the elastic connecting portion is particularly suitable for crutches.

  In addition, since the lower ends of multiple protruding grounding parts are positioned so as to surround the center of gravity axis of the cane, the cane can maintain a standing posture, and since a sick person uses the cane, bend the waist each time, etc. This is convenient and can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, since the ground contact with the ground is point-supported by the projecting ground contact portion, it is easy to bite against the ground such as sand or ballast, and exhibits a non-slip effect and improves stability.

  Further, when the protruding grounding portion, the mounting portion, and the elastic connecting portion are detachably formed on the stone thrusting device, the convenience is improved with respect to replacement of the above members due to wear, fatigue, breakage, or the like.

  And, if a cover that closes the space from the mounting portion protruding in the outermost peripheral direction of the stone thrusting device to the lower end portion of the cane body and the connecting portion of the stone thrusting device is provided, the cane user is protected from the exposed member, Eliminate obstacles such as getting caught in furniture.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, a crutch 1 is composed of a cane body 2 and a stone thruster 3 connected to the lower end thereof. In the case of this embodiment, the lower end 2a of the cane body 2 is formed of a metal cylinder, and the connection piece 4 is fixed to the inside thereof. The cane body 2 and the stone thrusting device 3 are connected by the bolts 5 (male screws) protruding from the upper surface of the stone thrusting device 3 being screwed with the female screws 4 a of the connection piece 4. Therefore, if this screwing is released, the cane body 2 and the stone thrusting device 3 can be separated, and the cane main body 2 or the stone thrusting device 3 can be replaced.

  Next, the configuration of the stone thrusting device 3 will be described. An elastic connecting portion 6 made of a material such as a deformable rubber is disposed below the bolt 5 of the stone thrusting device 3 connected to the cane body 2, and the upper end is a metal to which the bolt 5 is fixed. A support 6a made of a metal is joined to an elastic member 6b having a truncated cone shape by an adhesive or the like, and a metal support plate 6c having an outer diameter comparable to the bottom surface is fixed to the lower end of the elastic member 6b. The elastic connecting part 6 is reinforced. Reference numeral 6d denotes a bolt that is fixed to the support plate 6c and protrudes downward from the center thereof. The elastic member 6b may be integrally molded with a material such as a coil spring incorporated therein in order to improve the bending deformation.

  A metal plate-like mounting portion 7 having a fastening hole 7a that is penetrated by a bolt 6d fixed to the support plate 6c and fixed by a nut 6e is provided on the lower surface of the elastic connecting portion 6 in close contact therewith. The mounting portion 7 is provided with four mounting holes 7b equidistant from the outer periphery of the support plate 6c from the center position where the fastening holes 7a are located and at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the weight is reduced. In order to reduce the cost, it is formed in a substantially cross shape, but in order to obtain a simple part shape, a circular shape may be used.

  In the four mounting holes 7b, projecting grounding portions 8 that substantially point contact the ground and support the cane are detachably mounted. That is, the protruding grounding portion 8 is formed by integrally forming an elastic member 8b such as rubber on a metal core member 8a, and a bolt 8c fixed to the core member 8a is passed through the mounting hole 7b and tightened with a nut 8d. To fix. The elastic member 8b has a tapered tip so that the lower end can be in contact with the ground with a small area and can support a large load. The mounting hole 7b is positioned outside the outer periphery of the support plate 6c so that the protruding grounding portion 8 can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion 7. Further, the mounting portion 7 and the four projecting grounding portions 8 attached to the mounting portion 7 constitute a grounding body 9, and the grounding body 9 is separated from the elastic connecting portion 6 by releasing the screwing of the nut 6e. Can be removed.

  The four protruding grounding portions 8 are provided at positions away from the central axis of the stone thrusting device 3 as described above, and at the same time, the lower ends of the protruding grounding portions 8 are located on the same plane. Configured. When the cane is placed on a horizontal plane, if the center of gravity of the cane is placed within a quadrangular shape that connects the grounding points of the four projecting grounding parts 8, the cane can be kept standing without falling. This is convenient for a cane user such as a sick person to pick up the cane without bending his / her waist each time the cane is used.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the operation and force relationship when the walking stick user goes up the stairs using the crutch 1 having the above configuration will be described. When the crutch 1 is grounded, of the four projecting grounding parts 8 in the stone thrusting device 3, two projecting grounding parts 8 are on the upper stage surface a of the staircase, and the remaining two projecting grounding parts 8 are the lower stage surface b. It is located on the side, and a state of grounding occurs across the corner c of the staircase. At this time, when the cane user deposits his / her weight on the crutch 1 and presses the crutch 1 (the pressing force at this time is P), first, the two projecting ground portions 8 are grounded on the upper surface a, The elastic connecting portion 6 is bent and deformed. By bending and deforming in this way, the two protruding grounding portions 8 are grounded also on the lower surface b. (It is assumed that a force P ′ is applied to the lower end of the protruding grounding portion 8 that is grounded to the upper surface a).
Here, the bending stress M (P ′ × A1) acts on the lower ends of the two projecting grounding portions 8 that are grounded to the upper surface a due to the occurrence of the flexural deformation. The lower end of each projecting grounding portion 8 can press the upper surface a more strongly as much as the bending stress M acts.

  That is, while using the elastic connection part 6, the distance (A1) shifted from the center-of-gravity axis o of the crutch 1 can be secured, and it can be supported by the lower ends of the two protruding grounding parts 8. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a pressing force by a substantially constant bending stress so that the lower end of the projecting grounding portion 8 is grounded to the near side (near the corner portion c) on the upper stage surface a or further to the rear side than the corner portion c. it can.

  Even when the lower end of the projecting grounding portion 8 is grounded further to the back than the corner portion c in the upper surface a, the space between the projecting grounding portions 8, that is, the lower side of the mounting portion 7. Since the corner portion c enters the space and the corner portion c does not contact the stone thrusting device 3, the elastic connecting portion 6 can be bent and deformed until the lower ends of all the projecting grounding portions 8 are in contact with the ground.

  Incidentally, when the lower surface of the grounding portion 100 is formed in a plane shape as shown in FIG. 8, the upper surface a is supported by point contact by the corner c, although it is similarly deformed. A bending stress that presses the corner portion c acts. In this case, since the distance (A2) between the center of gravity axis o of the crutch 1 and the corner c is shorter than A1, the cane user applies the same amount of force (P). The bending stress M ′ (P ′ × A2) becomes small. For example, if the grounding portion 100 is grounded in a state where the center of gravity axis o is close to the corner c, the distance (A2) between the center of gravity axis o of the crutch 1 and the corner c is further reduced, so that it is almost bent. Stress does not work.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the step of the staircase is large, when the cane user grounds the crutch 1 at a position where the center of gravity axis o of the crutch 1 on the grounding surface is shifted from the grounding surface, It will be in a floating state.

  When the cane user applies weight to the crutch 1 in the above state, the elastic connecting portion 6 is flexibly deformed. However, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the crutch 1 provided with the stone thrusting device 3 is Similarly, strong bending stress acts on the lower end of the projecting grounding portion 8 that is in contact with the grounding surface of the grounding body 9 and can be reliably supported.

  Moreover, the projecting grounding portion 8 can maintain a grounded state on a horizontal grounding surface and can be stably supported without slipping even when a force is applied.

  On the other hand, when the lower surface of the ground contact portion of the stone thrusting device 3 is formed into a planar shape, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the cane user applies weight to the crutch 1, the center of gravity axis o of the crutch 1 Is displaced from the grounding surface, and if the elastic connecting portion 6 is bent and deformed, the grounding portion slides and slides down as shown in FIG. Even if the grounding portion 100 is formed of an elastic member such as rubber, if the cane user applies weight to the crutch 1, the grounding portion 100 cannot support the cane user and the grounding portion 100 is bent and deformed. It is dangerous because it slides down.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4B, the protruding grounding portion 8 when the weight is assigned to the crutch 1 will be considered. Since the protruding grounding portion 8 is substantially entirely formed of a rubber member, the protruding grounding portion 8 is more closely adhered to the grounding surface by being compressed and contracted. Moreover, since the bending ground caused by the deformation of the projecting grounding part 8 itself can be applied to the lower end of the projecting grounding part 8, the grounding surface can be further pressed.

  In addition to the staircase, the stone thrusting device 3 can be said to be in a suitable use environment even on an inclined ground surface or an uneven ground surface as shown in FIG. That is, in FIGS. 5A and 5B, when the wand user grounds the wand, first, the lower end of any projecting grounding portion 8 is grounded to the ground aa, bb. In support by, the cane is unstable. However, since the elastic user can bend and deform when the cane user places his / her body on the cane, the lower ends of almost all the projecting grounding parts 8 can be grounded to the ground aa and bb.

  In addition, in the case of FIG. 5B, the above-described stone thrusting device 3 is configured to be grounded to the ground bb by the lower ends of the plurality of projecting grounding portions 8, so that The convex part cc of the concavo-convex shape enters the space between the projecting grounding parts 8, that is, the space 80 below the mounting part 7, and this convex part cc directly contacts the projecting grounding part 8, the mounting part 7, etc. do not do. Therefore, the lower ends of almost all the projecting grounding portions 8 can be grounded to the ground.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIGS. 5 (c) and 5 (d), in the case of a cane formed by using the stone thrusting device 3 to support a plurality of points and without using the elastic connecting portion 6, the ground aa and bb are grounded. For example, the cane (cane user) is basically supported only at one point that first contacts the ground aa and bb. In this case, it is one-point support, and is unstable because the lower end of the projecting grounding portion 8 is offset from the center of gravity axis o, and slips particularly well when the ground aa and bb are wet. ,It is a danger.

  In this case, in order to support the wand at a plurality of points, the wand user needs to tilt the wand according to the shape of the ground aa and bb. In particular, on the ground bb with a concavo-convex shape as shown in FIG. 5 (d), it is necessary to tilt the cane frequently, and the function as a cane is not achieved.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 (e) and 5 (f), in the case where the elastic connecting portion 6 is used and the lower surface of the grounding portion 100 is formed in a planar shape, in particular, as shown in FIG. 5 (e). In addition, on the inclined surface aa, the elastic connecting portion 6 is bent and deformed according to the inclination angle of the inclined surface aa, and the entire projecting grounding portion 8 can be grounded to the ground aa to support the cane.

  However, as shown in FIG. 5 (f), when the cane is grounded to the ground surface bb having the uneven shape, it tends to bend and deform, but the uneven shape cannot be surface-supported and cannot be stably grounded. Therefore, there is a risk of slipping.

  As described above, by using the cane equipped with the stone thrusting device 3, even if the ground contact surface is the inclined surface aa or the ground surface bb including the concavo-convex shape, the cane user can be stably as with the horizontal surface. Can walk.

  As mentioned above, although 1st embodiment of this invention was described, other embodiment is described next.

  FIG. 6A shows another embodiment, in which the cane body 51 and the stone thrusting device 52 are connected, and the cylindrical body 52a having the same outer diameter as the cylindrical lower end 51a of the cane body 51 is used as the stone thrusting device. As shown in FIG. 6 (b), the lower end of the lower end portion 51a of the cane body 51 and the upper end of the cylindrical body 52a of the stone thrusting device 52 are butted, and the fastening band 53 is wound. This is done by tightening with bolts 53a and nuts 53b.

  FIG. 7 shows still another embodiment, in view of the fact that the outer diameter of the mounting portion of the stone thrusting device of the present invention is considerably larger than the outer diameter of the lower end of the cane body, and that members such as bolts and nuts are exposed. A cover is provided mainly from the lower end portion of the cane body to the elastic connecting portion of the stone thrusting device to ensure the safety of use and prevent the furniture from being damaged. In the present embodiment, a cover 61 is provided in the above-described stone thrusting device having the configuration shown in FIG. As the cover material, a flexible sheet such as cloth or leather is selected, and the upper end is wound around the outer periphery of the lower end portion 51a of the cane body 51 on the fastening band 53 and is detachably fixed by a fastener 62 such as a hook. . And a lower end is wound around the outer periphery of the attaching part 54 formed in the disk shape, and is attached and fixed detachably with a velcro tape or the like.

The front view of the crutch equipped with the stone thrusting device of the present invention. (A) Sectional drawing of the stone thruster of this invention, (b) Bottom view of the stone thruster of this invention. The front view which shows the use condition of the stone thruster of this invention. (A) State diagram immediately before use of the stone thruster of the present invention, (b) State diagram during use of the stone thruster of the present invention, (c) State diagram immediately before use of the conventional stone thruster, (d) The state figure in use of the conventional stone thruster. (A) Explanatory drawing which shows the use condition of the stone thrusting device of the present invention, (b) Explanatory drawing showing another usage condition of the stone thrusting device of the present invention, (c) Explanation showing the usage condition of the conventional stone thrusting device (D) Explanatory drawing which shows the other use condition of the conventional stone thrusting apparatus, (e) Explanatory drawing which shows the use condition of the other conventional stone thrusting apparatus, (f) Others of the other conventional stone thrusting apparatus Explanatory drawing which shows the use condition of. (A) The front view which shows other embodiment of the stone thrusting apparatus of this invention, (b) AA sectional arrow directional view in Fig.6 (a). The front view which carried out the cross section of a part which shows other embodiment of the stone thrusting apparatus of this invention. The front view which shows the use condition of the conventional stone thruster.

Explanation of symbols

2 Cane body 3 Stone thrusting device 6 Elastic connecting portion 7 Mounting portion 8 Protruding grounding portion 8a Core material 61 Cover

Claims (10)

A stone thruster that is connected to the cane body and supports the load from the cane user by grounding, and a plurality of projecting grounding parts projecting toward the grounding surface, and the projecting grounding part and the cane body are flexible. A plurality of projecting grounding portions, wherein the lower end grounding points are located on the same plane and are located away from the center of gravity axis of the cane. Cane thruster. 2. A cane stone according to claim 1, wherein an attachment portion is provided between the protruding grounding portion and the elastic connecting portion so that the protruding grounding portion can be attached outside the lower outer periphery of the elastic connecting portion. Thrusting device. 3. The cane striking device according to claim 2, wherein the attachment portion is formed of a metal disk. 4. The cane thrusting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protruding grounding portion is formed using an elastic material. 4. The cane thrusting device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding grounding portion is formed by integrally forming an elastic material on a metal core. The cane striking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the elastic connecting portion is formed of an elastic material such as rubber or is integrally formed by incorporating a spring in the elastic material. 7. The cane thrusting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projecting grounding part is detachable. The cane sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the attaching portion is detachable. The cane striking device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the elastic connecting portion is detachable. The cane striking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a cover for closing an upper space projecting in an outer peripheral direction from the cane body in the attachment portion and the elastic coupling portion.

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