JP2007313041A - Joint structure and ankle foot orthosis - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a joint structure which is excellent in durability and which reduces costs for manufacturing, and to provide an ankle foot orthosis using the joint structure where a reaction imparting tool is attached and detached easily and which has high affinity with a living body. <P>SOLUTION: In the joint structure 1, two joint members 2 and 3 are connected rotatably with a shaft, and the reaction imparting tool 4 imparts reaction force to rotation between the joint members 2 and 3. The reaction imparting tool 4 is provided with: thin pieces 6 connected in the direction of thickness; a first holding body 7 which loosely fits a group of the thin pieces 6 arranged side by side in the direction of thickness movably in the direction of the thickness and holds it; a second holding body 7 which loosely fits another group of the thin pieces 6 arranged side by side in the direction of thickness movably in the direction of the thickness and holds it; and a flexible surrounding body 8 which surrounds the thin pieces 6 to restrict the movable range of the thin pieces 6. The shrinkage of a space S surrounding the thin pieces 6 imparts reaction variably, and the two joint members 2 and 3 are detachably fixed to the first and second holding bodies 7 respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint structure, particularly a joint structure in which two joint members are pivotally connected to each other, and a short leg brace that uses the joint structure as an ankle joint.

  Among patients with hemiplegia due to stroke, trauma, etc., and elderly people certified as requiring nursing care, there are many patients with drooping leg disorders where the ankle joint grows and strains in the plantar flexion direction regardless of their intention. . Patients with this disability can not move smoothly due to their toes hanging during walking, and they cannot walk well because their toes get caught on the floor. Is sending. In order for such a patient to perform a walking motion close to normal walking, ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) are generally used as an assisting device that restricts the movement of the ankle joint.

  Conventional short leg braces are mainly shoehorn type braces that fix the ankle in a bent state of approximately 90 °. However, when such a short leg brace is used, the drooping leg can be prevented, but the ankle joint is fixed, and a knee bending phenomenon or the like occurs, resulting in an unnatural and awkward walking motion. Therefore, recently, a short leg brace has been proposed that improves this and gives the ankle joint a suitable degree of freedom and enables movement in the plantar and dorsiflexion directions.

  For example, in the short leg brace disclosed in Patent Document 1, as an ankle joint for connecting the sole placement body 12 (see FIG. 10) to the crus attachment body 11, the plantar flexion and dorsiflexion directions are provided. A joint structure is disclosed which is connected so as to be pivotable and imparts a variable drag force to the pivoting by an external force. As such a joint structure, for example, in the joint structure 90 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the drag application tool 91 is resistant to the rotation by the external force between the crus mounting body 11 and the footrest mounting body 12. Is granted.

  As shown in the partial perspective view of FIG. 12 (b), the drag application tool 91 is arranged with two groups of thin pieces 92 arranged in parallel by a pipe 93 that passes through the through hole, and these two groups. The thin pieces 92 are connected to each other so that the pins 94 can be pivoted and contacted in the thickness direction by pipes 94 inserted through the through holes so that the thin pieces 92 are alternately arranged. It is housed in the internal space. Then, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the screw portion of the pin 96 through which the pipe 93 is inserted is fixed to the crus attachment body 11 and the sole placement body 12 by screwing, and the pin through which the pipe 94 is inserted. A threaded portion 97 is fixed to the nut 98 by screwing. A means (not shown) for changing the internal pressure of the internal space of the bag body 95 is connected to the tube 99 joined to the bag body 95.

  In the joint structure 90 configured as described above, when the crus mounting body 11 and the plantar mounting body 12 are relatively rotated by an external force, the crus mounting body 11 and the plantar mounting body 12 are used. The two groups of thin pieces 92 that are juxtaposed with each other by the pipe 93 through which the pin 96 fixed to the shaft is inserted also rotate relatively. At this time, the pin 97 inserted into the pipe 94 which connects these thin pieces 92 alternately is the center of the rotation shaft. Since the joint structure 90 controls the internal pressure of the inner space of the bag body 95, the frictional force generated on the contact surface between the thin pieces 92 that are in close contact with each other changes, so that the crus mounting body 11 and the footrest mounting body 12 It is possible to variably apply a drag force against an external force that relatively rotates between the two.

By using such a joint structure 90 as an ankle joint, the short leg prosthesis makes the sole placement body 12 bottom with respect to the crus attachment body 11 by applying a negative pressure to the internal space of the bag body 95. It is possible to easily and easily impart a drag force necessary for restraining the movement that rotates in the bending and dorsiflexion directions. In addition, since the drag force to be applied is a passive force called a friction force, safety can be reliably ensured without running away due to a failure or the like.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-157383

  However, in the conventional joint structure 90, the pipes 93 and 94 are joined through the bag body 95 that accommodates the thin piece 92. For this reason, it is difficult to join the bag body 95 and the pipes 93 and 94, and the manufacturing cost is increased. Further, since the pin 97 inserted into the pipe 94 is rotated as an axis, air leaks from the inner space of the bag body 95. There was a problem that it was easy and inferior in durability. Further, in order to detach the drag application tool 91, it is necessary to release the connection between the crus attachment body 11 and the plantar placement body 12 and the four pins 96. There was a problem that it was difficult. In addition, since it is necessary to fix the drag application tool 91 to the lower leg mounting body 11 and the sole placement body 12 so as to be sandwiched from both the upper and lower sides, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size and weight, for example, the total height is increased. was there.

  In addition, the ankle joint of the short leg brace gives the assistance of the characteristics suitable for walking improvement according to the wearer's physique and symptoms, and there is also the preference of each person, so the magnitude of the drag is actually tried while trying on the spot Etc. need to be fine-tuned. However, in the short leg prosthesis using the conventional joint structure 90 as an ankle joint, there is a problem that it is difficult to replace the drag application tool 91 and it takes time to adjust the drag. Further, since the manufacturing cost of the joint structure 90 is high, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the short leg brace increases. Further, since the durability of the joint structure 90 is inferior, there is a problem in that the joint structure 90 is frequently replaced. Further, since it is difficult to reduce the size and weight of the joint structure 90, there is a problem in that the walking motion is affected and the affinity with a living body is lowered.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a joint structure that has excellent durability and can reduce the manufacturing cost. It is another object of the present invention to provide a short leg brace using a joint structure as an ankle joint that allows easy attachment / detachment of a drag imparting device and has high affinity with a living body.

  In order to achieve the object, the joint structure according to claim 1 is configured such that two joint members are pivotally connected to each other, and a drag can be imparted to the joint between the joint members by a drag imparting tool. In the joint structure, the drag application tool holds a group of thin pieces connected in the thickness direction and a group of the thin pieces arranged in parallel in the thickness direction so as to be movable in the thickness direction. A second holding body that loosely fits and holds another group of the thin pieces arranged side by side in the thickness direction, and moves the thin pieces around the thin piece. A flexible surrounding body that limits a possible range, and variably imparts the drag force by contraction of a space surrounding the thin piece, and the two joint members are detached from the first and second holding bodies, respectively. It is characterized by being fixed as possible.

  The joint structure according to claim 2 is the joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the thin piece held by the first holding body and the thin piece held by the second holding body are in the thickness direction. It is characterized by being connected so as to be alternately positioned.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the joint structure according to the first or second aspect, the first or second holding body is provided with a communication port that communicates between the space surrounding the thin piece and the outside. It is said.

  The short leg support device according to claim 4 is an ankle joint that connects a lower leg attachment body to be attached to the lower leg and a sole placement body on which the sole is placed. The joint structure described in the item is used.

  According to the joint structure of claim 1, the first and second holding bodies are loosely fitted and held so that the group of thin pieces arranged in parallel in the thickness direction can be moved in the thickness direction, and the thin pieces are held. The flexible surrounding body limits the movable range of the surrounding piece. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a pipe or the like penetrating the enclosure body in order to hold the group of thin pieces on the joint member and the shaft that rotatably connects the joint member. Therefore, since it is not necessary to join the enclosure and the pipe or the like, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost compared to the conventional case, and air leakage does not occur from the junction between the enclosure and the pipe. The durability can be improved as compared with the above. Further, the two joint members are detachably fixed to the first and second holding bodies, respectively. Therefore, the drag application tool can be easily detached from the joint member, and the drag application tool can be easily replaced. In addition, since it is not necessary to fix the drag application tool to the joint member so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction of the thin piece, the overall height can be reduced compared to the conventional case, and the size and weight can be reduced.

  According to the joint structure of the second aspect, the thin pieces held by the first holding body and the thin pieces held by the second holding body are connected so as to be alternately positioned in the thickness direction. Therefore, only the two groups of thin pieces respectively held by the first and second holding bodies are used as the thin pieces constituting the drag imparting device, thereby simplifying the structure of the joint structure and further reducing the size and weight. It becomes possible. In addition, the center of rotation is located at a portion where the two groups of thin pieces are connected to each other, so that the joint member can be rotated more smoothly.

  According to the joint structure of the third aspect, the first or second holding body is provided with a communication port that communicates between the space surrounding the thin piece and the outside. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a communication port with a tube or the like in the enclosure, and air leakage does not occur from the joint portion between the enclosure and the tube, so that durability can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

  According to the short leg prosthesis according to claim 4, any one of claims 1 to 3 as an ankle joint that connects a crus attachment body attached to a crus part and a sole placement body on which a sole is placed. The joint structure described in the item 1 is used. For this reason, since the drag application tool can be easily exchanged, it takes less time to adjust the drag. Moreover, since it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of a joint structure, the manufacturing cost of a short leg orthosis can be reduced. Moreover, since the durability of the joint structure is excellent, it is possible to extend the life of the short leg brace. Further, since the joint structure can be reduced in size and weight, the influence on the walking motion is reduced, and the affinity with the living body is increased.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the joint structure 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes two joint members 2 and 3 that are pivotally connected to each other, and the rotation between the joint members 2 and 3. And a drag applicator 4 capable of applying a drag to the.

  The joint members 2 and 3 are composed of a first joint member 2 and a second joint member 3, and these joint members 2 and 3 are rotatably connected by a shaft 5. The first and second joint members 2 and 3 are composed of joint bodies 2a and 3a that are pivotally connected to each other and attachment bodies 2b and 3b for attaching the drag application tool 4, respectively. 3b is fixed to the joint bodies 2a and 3a, respectively. Here, the joint bodies 2a and 3a and the attachment bodies 2b and 3b are made of a highly rigid material such as a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, and the attachment bodies 2b and 3b are fixed to the joint bodies 2a and 3a by bolts 2c and 3c. . A through hole is formed in the joint body 2a of the first joint member 2, and the shaft 5 is rotatably inserted through a bearing 5a such as a ball bearing or a needle bearing inserted into the through hole. Yes. On the other hand, a screw hole is formed in the joint body 3a of the second joint member 3, and a screw portion formed at the end of the shaft 5 is screwed into the screw hole, and the shaft 5 is fixed to the joint body 3a. Has been. A flat washer 5b through which the shaft 5 is inserted is disposed between the joint body 2a and the joint body 3a. The first and second joint members 2 and 3 are formed so that the bottom surfaces of the joint bodies 2a and 3a are located on the same plane in consideration of the convenience of fixing to the members (not shown). It is installed.

  4 and 5, the drag imparting device 4 moves in the thickness direction a group of thin pieces 6 connected in the thickness direction and the thin pieces 6 juxtaposed in the thickness direction. Two holding bodies 7 which are loosely fitted and held respectively, and a flexible surrounding body 8 which surrounds the thin piece 6 and restricts the movable range of the thin piece 6 (in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 by a two-dot chain line) It is shown.)

  Each thin piece 6 is a thin sheet-like member having the same shape, and is made of a synthetic resin such as polystyrene, polypropylene, or vinyl chloride. It is preferable to increase the coefficient of friction on the front and back surfaces by forming an irregular shape such as a sawtooth shape. The thin piece 6 is, for example, a rectangular shape having a semicircle on one side and a rectangular protrusion on the side facing the one side, but is not particularly limited to this shape.

  The holding body 7 holds a group of thin pieces 6 arranged in parallel in the thickness direction so as to be movable in the thickness direction, and is made of a highly rigid material such as synthetic resin. The holding body 7 has a shape that is slightly larger than the protruding piece of the thin piece 6, and is penetrated in the thickness direction. Without being moved in the thickness direction. The width of the holding body 7 is preferably substantially the same as the width of the thin piece 6. The holding body 7 is formed with a through hole, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a bolt 9 inserted through the through hole is screwed into the screw holes of the attachment bodies 2b and 3b of the joint members 2 and 3. It is fixed so that it can be removed. In order to suppress the total height of the joint structure 1, it is preferable to provide a recessed portion that can accommodate the head of the bolt 9 so that the head of the bolt 9 does not protrude from the upper surface of the holding body 7.

  It is preferable to connect the group of thin pieces 6 held by one holding body 7 and the group of thin pieces 6 held by the other holding body 7 so that they are alternately (alternately) positioned in the thickness direction. . As for the flakes 6 arranged alternately, it is preferable that the center of the semicircle substantially coincides with the thickness direction.

  The surrounding body 8 is a thin sheet-like member having good flexibility and adhesion that surrounds the thin piece 6 and restricts the movable range of the thin piece 6, and has excellent durability such as rubber and is easily deformable and does not transmit air. Made of soft material. The end of the enclosure 8 is fixed in close contact with an adhesive or the like over the peripheral surface of the holder 7. A space S having a substantially rectangular cross section sealed by the surrounding body 8 and the two holding bodies 7 is formed. The thin piece 6 is accommodated in the space S, and the thin piece 6 is disposed in a predetermined mutual relationship. Free movement is regulated within a predetermined range. When the inner height of the space S is larger than the total thickness in the thickness direction of the flakes 6 and the internal pressure of the space S is balanced with the external atmospheric pressure (hereinafter referred to as “normal pressure”). Each thin piece 6 accommodated in the space S has a gap therebetween, and is movable in the thickness direction. The attachment bodies 2 b and 3 b are provided with relief portions on the mounting surface of the drag application tool 4 to avoid interference between the surrounding body 8 and the adhesive portion of the holding body 7.

  An internal pressure changing means (not shown) capable of changing the internal pressure in the space S is connected by an elongated tubular body (tube) 8 a having a communication port communicating with the space S. The internal pressure changing means is, for example, a pump that can take in and out air in the space S, a discharge pump that can take out air in the space S, and an open valve that balances the external pressure by opening the space S to the outside. is there.

  In the joint structure 1 configured as described above, when the first joint member 2 and the second joint member 3 relatively rotate about the shaft 5 as a rotation center by an arbitrary external force, two holding bodies 7 is fixed to the attachment bodies 2b and 3b of the joint members 2 and 3, respectively, so that the two holding bodies 7 are also relatively rotated, and accordingly, a group of thin pieces held by the holding bodies 7 6 also rotates relatively. At this time, since the center of the semicircle of the thin piece 6 is substantially the center of rotation, the possibility that the enclosure 8 is damaged due to contact with the thin piece 6 is reduced.

  By controlling the internal pressure of the space S, the joint structure 1 can apply a resistance against an external force that is relatively rotated between the two joint members 2 and 3. When the internal pressure of the space S is balanced with the atmospheric pressure, little frictional force is generated on the contact surface between the thin pieces 6 and no drag is applied to the external force. On the other hand, when each thin piece 6 is brought into close contact with the internal pressure of the space S as a negative pressure, a frictional force is generated on the contact surface, and the frictional force becomes a resistance against the external force. Since the frictional force is changed by the internal pressure of the space S, by controlling the internal pressure of the space S, a drag force can be variably applied to the external force.

  When the space S is filled with an appropriate amount of air and the internal pressure is normal pressure, the space S is maintained at a constant volume, and as described above, the thin piece 6 is movable in the thickness direction. Therefore, almost no frictional force is generated on the contact surface between the thin pieces 6, and the two joint members 2 and 3 are freely rotatable, and hardly give any resistance against rotation by an external force (except for a slight frictional resistance). .

  On the other hand, in a state where the air in the space S has flowed out and the internal pressure has become a negative pressure equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure, the volume of the space S contracts, and the front surface and the back surface of each thin piece S come into close contact with each other. A frictional force is generated on the surface, and the frictional force provides a resistance against an external force that relatively rotates the two joint members 2 and 3.

  The frictional force is obtained by multiplying the normal direction force (hereinafter referred to as normal force) acting on the contact surface by the friction coefficient of the contact surface. The frictional force generated on the contact surface can be controlled. That is, the drag can be arbitrarily changed by controlling the internal pressure. Moreover, the drag | drug which can be provided can be changed by changing the magnitude | size of a contact surface, for example, changing the number of the thin pieces 6, or changing the surface area of the thin piece 6. FIG. Also, the drag that can be applied can be changed by changing the friction coefficient of the contact surface, that is, by changing the surface roughness of the front and back surfaces of the thin piece 6. Thus, by appropriately changing the number of the thin pieces 6 and the surface roughness, it is possible to easily apply an appropriate drag force.

  As described above, according to the joint structure 1, the two holding bodies 7 are loosely fitted and held so that the group of thin pieces 6 arranged in parallel in the thickness direction can be moved in the thickness direction. The flexible enclosure 8 limits the movable range of the thin piece 6. Therefore, in order to hold the thin piece 6 on the joint members 2 and 3 and the shaft 5 that rotatably connects the joint members 2 and 3, as in the conventional joint structure 90, a pipe that penetrates the surrounding body 8, etc. There is no need to provide. Therefore, since it is not necessary to join the enclosure 8 and the pipe or the like, the manufacturing cost can be reduced as compared with the conventional case, and air leakage does not occur from the junction between the enclosure 8 and the pipe or the like. Therefore, durability can be improved compared to the conventional case.

  Further, the two joint members 2 and 3 are detachably fixed to the holding body 7, respectively. Therefore, the drag application tool 4 can be easily detached from the joint members 2 and 3, and the drag application tool 4 can be easily replaced. The characteristics of the drag, such as the maximum drag that can be applied, can be freely adjusted by changing the number of the thin pieces 6 and the friction coefficient. Further, mounting compatibility can be ensured even if the total height of the drag applying device 4 changes due to deflection of the number of the thin pieces 6 or the like. Further, since it is not necessary to fix the drag application tool 4 to the joint members 2 and 3 so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction of the thin piece 6, the overall height can be lowered compared to the conventional case, and the size and weight can be reduced. It becomes possible.

  The joint structure shown in the present embodiment is only one aspect of the joint structure according to the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the case where a group of thin pieces 6 held by each holding body 7 are alternately positioned, that is, an example in which the two thin pieces 6 are juxtaposed, the case where the juxtaposed thin pieces are three or more groups is shown. It may be. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a group of thin pieces 6 held by one holding body 7, a group of oval thin pieces 6A not held by any holding body, and the other holding body 7 hold. A group of thin pieces 6, and an oval thin piece 6 </ b> A may be disposed adjacent to one thin piece 6 on the front and back surfaces thereof. The surrounding body 8A surrounds all these thin pieces 6 and 6A, thereby restricting the movable range thereof, and the movement of the oval thin piece 6A is also limited within a predetermined range. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, a group of thin pieces 6 held by one holding body 7, a group of oval thin pieces 6B not held by any holding body, and the other holding body 7 hold the group. A group of thin pieces 6, and an oval thin piece 6 </ b> B may be disposed adjacent to the two thin pieces 6 on the front and back surfaces thereof. The surrounding body 8B surrounds all these thin pieces 6 and 6B, thereby restricting the movable range thereof, and the movement of the oval thin piece 6B is also limited within a predetermined range.

  Moreover, you may provide the pressing tool which suppresses the drag imparting tool 4 from upper direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, on the top surface of the attachment bodies 2b ′ and 3b ′ of the joint members 2 ′ and 3 ′ so that the lower surface of the presser 9A contacts the upper surface of the holding body 7 of the drag applying device 4. Bolts 9B are screwed into the formed screw holes, and the presser 9 is fixed to the joint members 2 'and 3'. Thereby, the dragging tool 4 can be more stably fixed.

  In addition, the holding body may be provided with a communication port that communicates between the space S surrounding the thin piece 6 and the outside. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the holding body 7A is formed with a hole 7a that connects a surface holding the thin piece 6 and a side surface located outside, and the hole is connected to the space S and an internal pressure changing means (not shown). It has become a communication port. Thereby, since it is not necessary to provide a communication port by the tube etc. in the surrounding body 8, air leakage does not arise from the junction part of the surrounding body 8 and a tube etc., and durability can be improved.

  Although not shown, the joints 2a and 3a of the joint members 2 and 3 and the attachment bodies 2b and 3b may be integrated. As a result, the joint structure 1 can be further reduced in thickness and weight. Moreover, you may attach the drag imparting tool 4 so that the joint members 2 and 3 may be pinched not only from one side (lower side in FIG. 1 etc.) of the drag imparting tool 4, but from both sides. Thereby, the strength can be further improved. Moreover, you may attach so that the several drag imparting tool 4 may be piled up. Alternatively, the internal pressure may be adjusted by dividing the space S of the drag application tool 4 into a plurality of spaces. Thereby, the fine adjustment of the drag which can be further provided becomes possible.

  Hereinafter, a short leg brace 10 as a short leg brace using the joint structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the short leg brace 10 includes a lower leg part mounting body 11 to be worn on the lower leg part of the wearer M, a sole placement body 12 on which the sole of the wearer M is placed, The joint structure 1 as an ankle joint for connecting the plantar mounting body 12 to the thigh mounting body 11 so as to be capable of rotating (swinging) in the plantar flexion and dorsiflexion directions, and the ground contact surface of the plantar mounting body 12 And a pump (variable volume body) 13 provided in the vehicle.

  The lower leg attachment body 11 is integrally formed to be thin from a light and hard material such as a synthetic resin material so as to cover the calf part of the lower leg of the wearer M. The fixed belt 14 Is attached to the lower leg of the wearer M. The crus attachment body 11 is fixed to the first joint member 2 of the joint structure 1. Specifically, the lower leg portion of the crus attachment body 11 is fixed to the joint body 2a of the first joint member 2 with a bolt. The sole placement body 12 is made of a light and hard material such as a synthetic resin material like the sole placement body 12 so as to be able to place the sole of the wearer M and cover the heel area. It is integrally formed to be thin and is attached to the foot of the wearer M by the fixing belt 15. The sole mounting body 12 is fixed to the second joint member 3 of the joint structure 1. Specifically, the upper end portion of the sole placement body 12 is fixed to the joint body 3a of the second joint member 3 with a bolt.

  The pump 13 is made of a material that does not allow air flowing into and out of the internal space to pass therethrough, and is provided on the grounding surface that is the bottom surface of the footrest mounting body 12. The volume of the internal space of the pump 13 can be changed by an external force, and the space is communicated with the space S of the drag applying device 4 via the tube 16 so that air can flow in and out. The pump 13 is made of, for example, a flat plate film at the bottom and a bellows film at the side. The pump 13 is a stepping pump that uses the weight of the wearer M. When the wearer M walks, the pump 13 is sandwiched and sealed between the bottom surface of the sole placement body 12 and the ground. The internal pressure can be increased by compressing the volume of the space. An electric pump or the like may be used as the pump 13.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the short leg brace 10 according to the walking motion will be described. First, when the sole placement body 12 is not in contact with the ground, the volume of the internal space of the pump 13 is not compressed and its internal pressure is low. And the internal pressure of the space S of the drag imparting device 4 is a negative pressure, and restrains the movement of the plantar mounting body 12 rotating in the plantar flexion and dorsiflexion directions with respect to the crus attachment body 11. Yes.

  Next, when the buttocks are grounded, the internal space of the pump 13 is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the sole placement body 12 and the ground and is sequentially compressed from the buttocks side, and the internal pressure of the pump 13 is gradually increased. As a result, air flows into the space S of the drag application tool 4 from the pump 13 side through the tube 16, the internal pressure of the space S gradually increases, and the frictional force between the slices 6 of the drag application tool 4 decreases. The resistance against rotation between the crus mounting body 11 and the footrest mounting body 12 fixed to the joint members 2 and 3 is gradually weakened. In this way, it is possible to assist in smoothly shifting the body weight from the buttocks to the entire sole, while preventing the drooping of the toes.

  Next, when the toe portion is grounded, the internal space of the pump 13 is sandwiched and compressed between the bottom surface of the sole platform 12 and the ground, and the internal pressure of the pump 13 is further increased. As a result, air further flows into the space S of the drag imparting device 4 from the pump 13 side through the tube 16, the internal pressure of the space S increases to normal pressure, and the frictional force between the thin pieces 6 disappears, and the joint member The crus mounting body 11 and the footrest mounting body 12 fixed to the second and third parts, respectively, are rotatable, and there is no resistance against the rotation. In this way, the restraint of the sole placement body 12 can be released, and the weight of the wearer M can be used to assist the grounding of the entire sole.

  Next, when the buttocks are released, the internal space of the pump 13 is opened from the buttocks side between the bottom surface of the sole platform 12 and the ground, and is sequentially extended from the buttocks side. The internal pressure gradually decreases. As a result, air flows into the internal space of the pump 13 from the space S of the drag applying device 4 via the tube 16, the internal pressure of the space S gradually decreases, and the frictional force between the thin pieces 6 of the drag applying device 4 is reduced. The resistance against rotation gradually increases. In this way, it is possible to assist in smoothly moving the weight from the entire sole to the toe portion while preventing the foot from drooping.

  Next, when the toe part is released, the internal pressure in the space S of the drag application tool 4 is maintained at a negative pressure, the frictional force between the thin pieces 6 of the drag application tool 4 is large, and the drag resistance is the maximum. It becomes a state and rotation is restrained. In this way, it is possible to assist the restraint of the sole placement body 12 and prevent the foot tip from hanging down and coming into contact with the ground.

  As described above, according to the short leg brace 10, since the drag applicator 4 can be easily exchanged, it does not take time to adjust the drag. Moreover, since it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the joint structure 1, the manufacturing cost of the short leg brace 10 can be reduced. Moreover, since the durability of the joint structure 1 is excellent, the life of the short leg brace 10 can be extended. Moreover, since the joint structure 1 can be reduced in size and weight, the influence on the walking motion is reduced, and the affinity with the living body is increased.

  Moreover, since the drag | pulling according to a walking motion is suitably provided and assisted, the walking motion of the wearer M can be improved. In addition, since the pump 13 is operated by the walking motion of the wearer M, there is no need to operate the pump 13 with electric power or the like, and there is an advantage that the weight can be reduced.

  It should be noted that a flow rate adjusting valve for adjusting the flow rate of air flowing in and out between the space S of the drag applying tool 4 of the joint structure 1 and the pump 13 is provided, and the space of the joint structure 1 is controlled by controlling this flow rate adjusting valve. The inner pressure of S may be adjusted to appropriately adjust the restraint of the footrest placing body 12. In addition, a sensor for detecting whether or not the buttocks and toes are in contact with the ground, a sensor for detecting the pressure in the space S of the drag applicator 4 and the internal space of the pump 13 is provided, and a detection signal transmitted from this sensor is taken into consideration. Then, the flow rate of the flow control valve may be adjusted. Further, an auxiliary tank having an internal space communicating with the space S of the drag application tool 4 and the internal space of the pump 13 and provided with a valve such as a flow control valve may be provided. In this case, it becomes possible to adjust the internal pressure of the space S independently of the expansion and contraction of the internal space of the pump 13, and the walking motion of the wearer M can be further improved. A gas such as helium gas or argon gas may be used instead of air.

  It should be noted that the short leg brace according to the present invention is not limited to the short leg brace 10 shown as the embodiment of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the design can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. . For example, the joint structure 1 may be used for a long leg brace that compensates for the movement of the knee joint. Furthermore, the short leg brace according to the present invention is not limited to being used as an assisting device when a patient with a disability walks, but may be used when a healthy person performs sports training. . For example, by applying loads such as air resistance and water fluid resistance acting on the ankle joint according to various exercise motions as a drag force, the short leg apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a virtual experience device that performs sports training virtually. Can be applied. In addition, by appropriately applying a load acting on the ankle according to the walking motion as a drag, it is possible to apply the ankle foot orthosis according to the present invention to a muscle training device that effectively trains muscles such as around the ankle joint. it can. It can also be incorporated in athletic training shoes such as high-cut shoes.

The joint structure 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a partially exploded perspective view. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint structure 1. FIG. It is AA sectional drawing in Fig.1 (a). (A) And (b) is a partial see-through | perspective perspective view which shows the drag imparting tool 4 of the joint structure 1, (c) is a perspective view which shows the thin piece. (A) to (b) is a partially transparent top view showing the drag application tool 4 of the joint structure 1, and (c) is a perspective view showing the thin piece. (A) to (c) is a partially transparent top view showing a modification of the drag application tool 4 of the joint structure 1. (A) to (c) is a partially transparent top view showing another modification of the drag application tool 4 of the joint structure 1. The modification of the joint structure 1 is shown, (a) is a partial exploded perspective view, (b) is sectional drawing. The other modification of the drag imparting tool 4 of the joint structure 1 is shown, (a) is a partial perspective view, (b) is a partial perspective top view. It is a side view which shows the external appearance structure of the short leg brace 10 in embodiment of this invention. The conventional joint structure 90 is shown, (a) is a partial exploded perspective view, (b) is a side view. The drag imparting tool 4 of the conventional joint structure 90 is shown, (a) is an exploded perspective view, and (b) is a partially exploded perspective view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Joint structure 2, 3 Joint member 4 Drag application tool 5 Axis 6 Thin piece 7 Holding body 8 Enclosure 10 Short leg support 11 Lower leg mounting body 12 Sole mounting body

Claims (4)

Two joint members are pivotally connected to each other, and a joint structure capable of imparting a drag force by a drag imparting tool against the rotation between the joint members,
The drag application tool is
Flakes connected in the thickness direction;
A first holder for loosely fitting and holding a group of the thin pieces arranged side by side in the thickness direction;
A second holding body for loosely fitting and holding another group of the thin pieces arranged side by side in the thickness direction so as to be movable in the thickness direction;
A flexible enclosure that surrounds the flakes and limits the movable range of the flakes, and variably imparts the drag by contraction of the space surrounding the flakes,
The joint structure, wherein the two joint members are detachably fixed to the first and second holding bodies, respectively.   The thin piece held by the first holding body and the thin piece held by the second holding body are connected so as to be alternately positioned in the thickness direction. Joint structure.   The joint structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a communication port that communicates between a space surrounding the thin piece and the outside is provided in the first or second holding body.   The joint structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the joint structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is used as an ankle joint that connects a crus attachment body attached to the crus part and a sole placement body on which the sole is placed. A short leg brace.

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