JP2009183405A - Walking aid device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walking aid device which appropriately deals with road surfaces tilted rightward and leftward. <P>SOLUTION: The walking aid device 10 includes a supporting member 26 which is laterally placed across a pair of right and left joints, is supported by the pair of right and left joints to rotate about an axis in the horizontal direction, and has at least one rotation supporting part configured to rotate about the axis in the front-back direction, an electrical component 22 which is hung from the rotation supporting part of the supporting member for controlling to drive front side wheels and rear side wheels, a hanging angle sensor 34 for detecting a hanging angle of the electrical component around the axis in the front-back direction with respect to the supporting member, and a controller 12d for independently controlling a connecting angle between the left side main frame and the left side sub-frame and a connecting angle between the right side main frame and the right side sub-frame based on the hanging angle of the electrical component around the axis in the front-back direction which is detected by the hanging angle sensor 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assistance device for assisting a pedestrian to walk, and more particularly to a handcart type walking assistance device.

Examples of walking assist devices are shown in the conventional literature (Patent Literatures 1 to 4).
Japanese Patent No. 3156367 JP-A-10-216183 International Publication WO 98/41182 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-501611

  The walking assist device is not only used on a flat road surface but also used on an inclined road surface. In particular, when the road surface is inclined in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the walking assistance device (in other words, the left-right direction of the pedestrian), the walking assistance device is in an unstable state. If the road surface is excessively inclined in the left-right direction, the walking assistance device may roll over.

  Further, when the road surface is inclined in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the walking assist device, the posture of the walking assist device is inclined with respect to the pedestrian. For example, on a road surface inclined in the left-right direction of the pedestrian, the handle of the walking assist device moves to the left or right side with respect to the pedestrian. Thus, on a road surface inclined in the left-right direction of the pedestrian, the walking assist device is difficult to use for the pedestrian.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a walking assist device that can suitably cope with a sloping road surface in the left-right direction.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the walking assist device of the present invention includes a handle that extends horizontally with respect to the road surface at a height that can be gripped by a pedestrian, and a diagonally lower front side of the pedestrian from both ends of the handle. A pair of left and right main frames extending to the vicinity of the road surface toward the road, a pair of left and right subframes extending from the middle part of the main frame to the road surface near the pedestrian, and a middle part of the main frame. A pair of left and right joints that pivotally connect the subframe to the pair, a pair of left and right front wheels provided at the lower end near the road surface of the main frame, and a pair of left and right rear sides provided at the lower end near the road surface of the subframe A support member that is horizontally mounted between a wheel and a pair of left and right joints, and is supported by a pair of left and right joints so as to be rotatable about a left and right axis. A support member having at least one rotation support portion configured to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and electrical equipment for driving control of the front wheels and the rear wheels suspended from the rotation support portion of the support member A suspension angle sensor for detecting a suspension angle of the electrical component around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component relative to the support member, and a left side based on the suspension angle of the electrical component around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the suspension angle sensor And a controller for independently controlling a connection angle between the main frame and the left subframe and a connection angle between the right main frame and the right subframe.

  In the walking assist device of the present invention, a support member is horizontally mounted between the pair of left and right joints, and the support member is supported by the pair of left and right joints so as to be rotatable about the left and right axis, and the front and rear direction. A rotation support portion configured to be rotatable about an axis is provided. An electrical component for driving control of the front wheel and the rear wheel is suspended from the rotation support portion of the support member, and the suspension angle sensor is a suspension angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component relative to the support member. Is detected. The controller independently determines the connection angle between the left main frame and the left sub frame and the connection angle between the right main frame and the right sub frame based on the suspension angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the suspension angle sensor. And control. Therefore, according to the walking assist device of the present invention, even if the road surface is inclined in the left-right direction, the connection angle between the left main frame and the left sub-frame and the connection angle between the right main frame and the right sub-frame are independent of each other. By controlling, the walking assist device can be in a stable state. Further, according to the walking assist device of the present invention, even when the road surface is inclined in the left-right direction, the connection angle between the left main frame and the left sub-frame and the connection angle between the right main frame and the right sub-frame are independently controlled. By doing so, the movement of the handle to the left and right can be reduced.

  In the walking assist device of the present invention, the controller determines that the left side is the mountain side and the right side is the valley side based on the hanging angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the hanging angle sensor. In this case, it is preferable that the connection angle between the left main frame and the left subframe is larger than the connection angle between the right main frame and the right subframe. According to this configuration, when it is determined that the left side is the mountain side and the right side is the valley side, the connection angle between the left main frame and the left sub frame is made larger than the connection angle between the right main frame and the right sub frame. Therefore, the walking assist device can be in a stable state.

  Further, in the walking assistance device of the present invention, the controller determines that the left side is the valley side and the right side is the mountain side based on the hanging angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the hanging angle sensor. In this case, it is preferable that the connection angle between the right main frame and the right subframe is larger than the connection angle between the left main frame and the left subframe. According to this configuration, when it is determined that the left side is the valley side and the right side is the mountain side, the connection angle between the right main frame and the right subframe is made larger than the connection angle between the left main frame and the left subframe. Therefore, the walking assist device can be in a stable state.

  The walking assist device according to the present invention further includes a left joint actuator capable of adjusting a connection angle between the left main frame and the left sub frame, and a right joint actuator capable of adjusting a connection angle between the right main frame and the right sub frame. The controller controls each of the left joint actuator and the right joint actuator from the left front wheel to the left rear wheel based on the suspension angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the suspension angle sensor. It is preferable to control the connection angle between the main frame and the subframe by adjusting the distance between the left wheels and the distance between the right wheels from the right front wheel to the right rear wheel. According to this configuration, since the left joint actuator and the right joint actuator are controlled in order to control the connection angle between the main frame and the subframe, the walking assistance device can be in a stable state.

  Further, in the walking assist device of the present invention, the controller independently sets the connection angle of the left main frame and the left sub frame and the connection angle of the right main frame and the right sub frame so that the handle is maintained in a horizontal state. Control. Therefore, the handle becomes substantially horizontal even on an inclined road surface, so that the pedestrian can improve the comfort of using the walking assist device.

  In the walking assistance device of the present invention, each wheel may be an in-wheel motor in which a motor is built in the wheel. In the walking assistance device of the present invention, the electrical component may be a power supply unit for supplying power to each wheel.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the walk assistance apparatus which can cope suitably with the road surface inclined in the left-right direction can be provided.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements or elements having the same function, and redundant description is omitted.

  1 and 2 show the appearance of the walking assist device 10 according to the present embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 3 has shown the block diagram of the walking assistance apparatus 10 which concerns on this embodiment. With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, the structure of the walking assistance apparatus 10 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.

  The walking assist device 10 is a handcart type, and includes a handle 12, main frames 14L and 14R, sub frames 16L and 16R, joints 18L and 18R, a support member 26, a power supply unit 22, and wheels 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2, the walking assistance device 10 is configured such that the walking assistance device 10 has the handle 12 disposed at the upper end of the walking assistance device 10 by placing the walking assistance device 10 in front and the walking assistance device 10. It is configured to support the pedestrian and assist the pedestrian in walking.

  The handle 12 of the walking assist device 10 extends horizontally in the left-right direction with respect to the road surface at a grippable height before the pedestrian's chest. The handle 12 is provided with a plurality of switches 12a, 12b, and 12c (use start / end switch 12b and the like) for a pedestrian to control the walking assist device 10. Further, inside the handle 12, a controller 12d for taking in signals from the switches 12a, 12b, and 12c and controlling the operation of the walking assist device 10 is provided. In addition, a push force sensor 13 for detecting a force by which a pedestrian pushes the handle 12 is provided inside the handle 12.

  The pair of main frames 14L and 14R extend from both ends of the handle 12 obliquely downward on the front side of the pedestrian. The pair of main frames 14 </ b> L and 14 </ b> R includes a left main frame 14 </ b> L extending from the left end of the handle 12 and a right main frame 14 </ b> R extending from the right end of the handle 12. The main frames 14L and 14R extend to the vicinity of the road surface, and front wheels 20FL and 20FR are rotatably attached to the tips of the main frames 14L and 14R.

  The pair of subframes 16L and 16R includes a left subframe 16L extending from the left main frame 14L and a right subframe 16R extending from the right main frame 14R. The pair of sub-frames 16L and 16R extends obliquely downward from the middle part of the main frames 14L and 14R. More specifically, the pair of sub-frames 16L and 16R extends from joints 18L and 18R provided in the middle of the main frames 14L and 14R toward the road surface near the pedestrian. Each sub-frame 16L, 16R extends to the vicinity of the road surface, and rear wheels 20RL, 20RR are attached to the tips of the sub-frames 16L, 16R.

  Each of the wheels 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, 20RR attached to the main frames 14L, 14R and the subframes 16L, 16R incorporates a motor for applying driving force or braking force to the wheels 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, 20RR. It is an in-wheel motor unit. The in-wheel motor units 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR can be independently controlled by the controller 12d. That is, each of the in-wheel motor units 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR is supplied with electric power from the power supply unit 22 and outputs a driving force or a braking force in accordance with a control command from the controller 12d.

A pair of joints 18L, 18R provided in the middle part of the main frames 14L, 14R rotatably connects the sub frames 16L, 16R to the main frames 14L, 14R. Each of the pair of joints 18L and 18R includes joint actuators 19L and 19R for adjusting the connection angles A _L and A _R (see FIG. 4) of the sub frames 16L and 16R. The joint actuators 19L and 19R can be independently controlled by the controller 12d. That is, each of the joint actuators 19L and 19R receives the supply of electric power from the power supply unit 22 and rotates the sub frames 16L and 16R in accordance with a control command from the controller 12d. The joint actuator 19L, each of 19R, has the main frame 14L, the sub-frame 16L for 14R, connecting angle _A L of 16R, frame angle sensor 30L for detecting an _{A R,} the 30R.

  The pair of joints 18L and 18R pivotally support the sub frames 16L and 16R using bearings fixed to the main frames 14L and 14R, and the sub frames 16L and 16R can be rotated with respect to the main frames 14L and 14R. It is said. However, since the joints 18L and 18R only need to be able to turn the subframes 16L and 16R at a part of the main frames 14L and 14R, for example, rubber is provided between the main frames 14L and 14R and the subframes 16L and 16R. It is good also as a simplified structure which interposed the bush made from. Thereby, the walking assistance apparatus 10 can be comprised lightweight and cheaply.

  A support member 26 is suspended between the pair of joints 18L and 18R to suspend and support the power supply unit 22. The support member 26 is a cross-shaped member as viewed from above, a left extending portion 26a extending from the center to the left joint 18L, a right extending portion 26c extending from the center to the right joint 18R, It has a front extension 26b extending forward from the center and a rear extension 26d extending rearward from the center. The left extending portion 26a and the right extending portion 26c are pivotally supported by a pair of joints 18L and 18R, and are supported by the pair of joints 18L and 18R so as to be rotatable around a left and right axis. A front rotation support portion 28F is provided near the front end of the front extension portion 26b, and a rear rotation support portion 28R is provided near the rear end of the rear extension portion 26d.

  The power supply unit 22 is an electrical component for driving control of the wheels 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR, and supplies driving power to the wheels 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR. The power supply unit 22 is suspended from the front rotation support portion 28F and the rear rotation support portion 28R using the front suspension band 24F and the rear suspension band 24R. A flexible front suspension band 24F is hung on the front rotation support portion 28F. One end of the front suspension band 24F is fixed to the left front end of the power supply unit 22 and the other end of the front suspension band 24F. Is fixed to the right front end of the power supply unit 22. In addition, one flexible rear suspension band 24R is hung on the rear rotation support portion 28R, and one end of the rear suspension band 24R is fixed to the left rear end of the power supply unit 22, and the rear side The other end of the hanging band 24R is fixed to the right rear end of the power supply unit 22.

  When the controller 12 d takes in the detection value of the pressing force sensor 13, the controller 12 d sets a target speed according to the detection value of the pressing force sensor 13. Here, the target speed is set to such an extent that an appropriate reaction force is applied to the pedestrian from the walking assist device 10 so that the pedestrian can lean on the walking assist device 10 appropriately. The controller 12d controls the in-wheel motors 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR so that the walking assistance device 10 moves at the target speed. According to the control method of the walking assist device 10, the pressing force that the pedestrian gives to the walking assist device 10, in other words, the reaction force that the walking assist device 10 gives to the pedestrian is made substantially constant. For this reason, since the pedestrian can lean on the walking assist device 10 with a constant pressing force, the posture of the pedestrian can be stabilized and the comfort of the pedestrian can be improved.

  Inside the front rotation support portion 28F, the front suspension band 24F is supported so as to be rotatable about a front-rear direction axis. Further, the rear suspension band 24R is supported so as to be rotatable about the front-rear direction axis within the rear-side rotation support portion 28R. Therefore, the center of gravity of the power supply unit 22 is always located in the direction in which gravity acts from the center of the support member 26. That is, not only when the walking assistance device 10 is on a flat road surface, but also when the walking assistance device 10 is on a sloping road surface, the center of gravity of the power supply unit 22 is located directly below the center of the support member 26.

  When the walking assist device 10 is inclined on the road surface inclined in the front-rear direction, the support member 26 rotates around the left-right axis at the joints 18L, 18R, so the power supply unit 22 rotates relative to the joints 18L, 18R. To do. Further, when the walking assist device 10 is inclined on the road surface inclined in the left-right direction, the suspension bands 24F, 24R are rotated around the front-rear direction axis in the front-side rotation support portion 28F and the rear-side rotation support portion 28R. Therefore, the power supply unit 22 rotates with respect to the support member 26.

Note that FIG. 4 shows the walking assist device 10 from which the support member 26 and the power supply unit 22 have been removed. As shown in FIG. 4, left connection angles A _L is the angle left main frame 14L and the left sub-frame 16L of the left joint 18L as the vertex, the right connection angle A _R, right and right joint 18R as the vertex This is an angle formed by the main frame 14R and the right subframe 16R. Moreover, the left wheel distance D _L is the longitudinal distance from the axis of rotation of the left front side wheels 20FL to the rotational axis of the left rear wheel 20RL, the right wheel distance D _R, the rotation of the right front wheel 20FR This is the distance in the front-rear direction from the shaft to the rotating shaft of the right rear wheel 20RR.

Inside the joints 18L and 18R, a first hanging angle sensor 32 for detecting a hanging angle A _FR around the left-right axis of the power supply unit 22 is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the first hanging angle sensor 32 detects the rotation angle A _FR of the power supply unit 22 with respect to the joints 18L and 18R. Rotation angle A _FR of the power supply unit 22, when viewed from the side of the walking assist device 10 is the angle between the road surface perpendicular L _V and the gravity acting direction L _G, corresponding to the inclination angle of the longitudinal direction of the road. That is, the first hanging angle sensor 32 is a gradient sensor for detecting the gradient in the front-rear direction of the road surface.

Further, the rotation support portions 28F, in the interior of the 28R, the second hanging angle sensor 34 for detecting a hanging angle A _LR of the longitudinal axis of the power supply unit 22 is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the second suspension angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle A _LR of the power supply unit 22 with respect to the rotation support portions 28F and 28R. Rotation angle A _LR of the power supply unit 22, when viewed from the front of the walking assist device 10 is the angle between the road surface perpendicular L _V and the gravity acting direction L _G, corresponding to the inclination angle in a lateral direction of the road surface. That is, the second hanging angle sensor 34 is a gradient sensor for detecting the gradient in the left-right direction of the road surface.

  In the present embodiment, the walking assist device 10 has a special structure. With reference to FIG. 7, the special structure of the walking assistance apparatus 10 is demonstrated. When the walking assist device 10 is on a substantially flat road surface, the portions 14La, 14Ra above the joints 18L, 18R of the main frames 14L, 14R (hereinafter referred to as the main frame upper portion) 14La, 14Ra are connected to the main frames 14L, 14R. Locked and integrated with lower portions (hereinafter referred to as main frame lower portions) 14Lb and 14Rb below the joints 18L and 18R, and linearly coupled to the main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb. On the other hand, when the walking assistance device 10 is on an inclined road surface, the main frames 14L and 14R and the sub frames 16L and 16R can operate as described below.

That is, when the walking assist device 10 is on an inclined road surface, the lock between the main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra and the main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb is released in accordance with a control signal from the controller 12d, and the main frame lower portion 14Lb and 14Rb are separated from the main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra. Then, in accordance with the control signal from the controller 12d, the connection angles A _L and A _{R of the} main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb and the sub frames 16L and 16R are maintained while maintaining the postures (tilt angles) of the main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra. To change. Here, the angle change directions of the main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb are opposite to the angle change directions of the sub frames 16L and 16R, and the angle change amounts of the main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb are the angle change amounts of the sub frames 16L and 16R. be equivalent to.

The controller 12d on the basis of the hoisting angle A _LR of the longitudinal axis of the power supply unit 22, given different control signals to each of the left joint actuators 19L and the right joint actuator 19R, left connection angles A _L and right connection angle controlling the a _R independently. By controlling the left connection angles A _L and right connection angle A _R independently, it is possible to adjust the respective left wheel distance D _L, and the right wheel distance D _R at different distances. When the walking assist device 10 moves on a road surface that is inclined in the left-right direction, the controller 12d is based on the suspension angle A _LR around the longitudinal axis of the power supply unit 22 detected by the second suspension angle sensor 34. By independently controlling the left connection angle _AL and the right connection angle _AR , the stability of the walking assist device 10 can be improved.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the main frames 14L and 14R are configured to be separable into the main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra and the main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb, and the postures of the main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra are maintained. , mainframe bottom 14 lb, 14Rb and subframe 16L, 16R connecting angle _a L of, changing the _{a R.} However, in other embodiments, the main frames 14L and 14R may be configured so as not to be separated, and only the connection angles of the sub frames 16L and 16R with respect to the main frames 14L and 14R may be changed.

  Next, the control of the controller 12d when the walking assistance device 10 is on an inclined road surface will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of control of the controller 12d on an inclined road surface. FIG. 9 shows the operation of the support member 26 and the power supply unit 22 on an inclined road surface. 10 and 11 show a change in posture of the walking assist device 10 on an inclined road surface.

In Step 801, the controller 12d detects the road surface gradient by taking in the detection outputs of the first hanging angle sensor 32 and the second hanging angle sensor 34. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the controller 12 d takes in the detection output of the first hanging angle sensor 32 to detect the hanging angle A _FR around the left-right axis L _LR of the power supply unit 22. The downward angle A _FR is recognized as a gradient in the front-rear direction of the road surface. The controller 12d takes in detection output of the second hanging angle sensor 34 detects the hoisting angle A _LR of the longitudinal axis L _FR around the power supply unit 22, the left and right of the hanging angle A _LR of a road surface Recognize as a gradient of direction. When the road surface is inclined in the left-right direction, the controller 12d performs the processing after step 802.

In step 802, the controller 12d on the basis of the slope _{A LR} of the left and right direction of the road surface, determines the left wheel distance _{D L,} and the right wheel distance _{D R.} That is, the controller 12d, when the left side is the mountain side right is determined to be a valley side, so as to increase the left connection angles A _L than the right articulation angle A _R, the left wheel distance D _L, and the right determining the wheel distance _{D R.} Further, the controller 12d, when the left side is the valley right is determined to be the mountain side, so as to increase the right connection angle A _R than left connection angles A _L, left wheel distance D _L, and the right determining the wheel distance _{D R.}

In step 803, the controller 12d is such that the distance between the determined left wheel _{D L} and a right wheel distance _{D R,} and controls the joint actuators 19L, the 19R. As a result, the walking assist device 10 assumes the posture shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 shows the walking assist device 10 viewed from the front side of the road surface, and FIG. 11 shows the walking assist device 10 viewed from the road surface mountain side (the direction of the arrow XI in FIG. 10). As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the walking assist device 10, a wheel distance D _R of the wheel distance D _L of the road mountain long road valley becomes short state, the handle 12 and the support member 26 is substantially horizontal It has become.

  In step 804, the controller 12d captures the detection value of the pressing force sensor 13 to set a target speed, and controls the in-wheel motors 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, and 20RR so that the walking assist device 10 travels at the target speed. . When the walking assist device 10 is traveling at the target speed, an appropriate reaction force is applied from the walking assist device 10 to the pedestrian, and the pedestrian can lean on the walking assist device 10 appropriately.

According to the control method in the road surface which is inclined in the lateral direction as described above, since the controller 12d is to independently control each of the left wheel distance D _L, and the right wheel distance D _R, a stable walking assist device 10 State. That is, if the inter-left wheel distance D _L, and the right wheel distance D _R to suppose that can not be controlled independently, if the walking assist device 10 is in a road surface that is inclined, walking according to the inclination angle of the road surface The posture of the auxiliary device 10 is inclined, and the walking auxiliary device 10 may roll over. On the contrary, when the left wheel distance D _L, and the right wheel distance D _R as in the present embodiment is controlled independently, even if the walking assist device 10 is in a road surface which is inclined, the road surface The posture of the walking assistance device 10 can be stabilized according to the inclination, and the rollover of the walking assistance device 10 can be prevented beforehand.

Further, if the inter-left wheel distance D _L, and the right wheel distance D _R to suppose that can not be controlled independently, if the walking assist device 10 is in a road surface that is inclined, walking according to the inclination angle of the road surface The posture of the auxiliary device 10 is inclined, and the handle 12 moves to the left or right side with respect to the pedestrian. In contrast, according to the control method of this embodiment, since the controller 12d is to independently control each of the left wheel distance D _L, and the right wheel distance D _R, the road surface the walking assist device 10 is inclined Even in some cases, the walking assistance device 10 can be in a relatively vertical posture. Therefore, in order to prevent the handle of the walking assist device 10 from moving to the left or right side so that the posture of the walking assist device 10 is not inclined with respect to the pedestrian, the pedestrian is comfortable to use the walking assist device 10. Can be improved.

  In particular, as described above, the main frames 14L and 14R are configured to be separable into the main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra and the main frame lower portions 14Lb and 14Rb, and when the walking assist device 10 is on an inclined road surface, The main frame upper portions 14La and 14Ra do not rotate with respect to 18R. Therefore, since the handle 12 is substantially horizontal even on an inclined road surface, it is possible to improve the comfort of the walking assist device 10 for pedestrians.

FIG. 12 is a system diagram illustrating a control system of the walking assist device 10. The above control of the walking assist device 10 is realized by the control system of the walking assist device 10 shown in FIG. In the control system of the walking assist device 10, the detected value of the inclination angle _{ALR in} the left-right direction of the road surface is fed back, and the posture of the walking assist device 10 is suitably controlled by PID control. More specifically, the proportional term P obtained by multiplying the deviation M obtained by subtracting the roll angle target value from the roll angle of the walking assist device 10 (the detected value M of the tilt angle A _LR ) by the proportional gain Gp, An integral term I obtained by multiplying a value obtained by integrating the deviation M by an integral gain Gi is calculated, and a differential term D obtained by multiplying a value obtained by differentiating the deviation M by a differential gain Gd is calculated. These three values P, I, D Are added to generate the control value O of the tilt angle _ALR . Then, to control the right wheel distance D _R using the control value S of the difference value (0.5) obtained by adding the control value O, the difference value (0.5) was subtracted from the control value O The left wheel distance D _L is controlled using the control value T obtained in this way. As a result, the roll angle of the walking assist device 10 is controlled to the roll angle target value.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a walking assistance apparatus. It is a side view which shows the external appearance of a walking assistance apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows a walking assistance apparatus. Connecting angle _A L, _{A R} and the wheel distance _D L, a diagram illustrating a _{D R.} It is a diagram illustrating a hoisting angle A _FR in the horizontal direction axis of the power supply unit. It is a diagram illustrating a hoisting angle A _LR of the longitudinal axis of the power supply unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the attitude | position change of a walking assistance apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows control of the walking assistance apparatus in the road surface inclined in the left-right direction. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the detection method of a road surface inclination. It is a front view which shows the walk assistance apparatus in the road surface inclined in the left-right direction. It is a side view which shows the walk assistance apparatus in the road surface inclined in the left-right direction. It is a system diagram which shows the control system of a walking assistance apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Walking assistance apparatus, 12 ... Handle, 12a, 12b, 12c ... Switches, 12d ... Controller, 13 ... Push force sensor, 14L, 14R ... Main frame, 14La, 14Ra ... Main frame upper part, 14Lb, 14Rb ... Main frame Lower part, 16L, 16R ... sub-frame, 18L, 18R ... joint, 19L, 19R ... joint actuator, 20FL, 20FR, 20RL, 20RR ... wheel (in-wheel motor), 22 ... power supply unit (electrical component), 24F ... front suspension Lower band, 24R: Rear suspension band, 26: Support member, 28F, 28R: Rotation support, 30L, 30R: Frame angle sensor, 32: First suspension angle sensor, 34: Second suspension angle sensor

Claims (7)

A handle that extends horizontally to the road surface at a height that can be gripped by a pedestrian,
A pair of left and right main frames extending from the both ends of the handle to the vicinity of the road surface obliquely downward on the front side of the pedestrian,
A pair of left and right subframes extending from the middle part of the main frame to the road surface near the pedestrian,
A pair of left and right joints provided in the middle portion of the main frame and rotatably connecting the sub frame to the main frame;
A pair of left and right front wheels provided at the lower end near the road surface of the main frame;
A pair of left and right rear wheels provided at the lower end near the road surface of the subframe;
A support member that is horizontally mounted between the pair of left and right joints, and is supported by the pair of left and right joints so as to be rotatable about a left-right axis and is rotatable about a front-rear direction axis. A support member having at least one pivot support;
Electrical components for driving control of the front wheel and the rear wheel suspended from the rotation support portion of the support member;
A hanging angle sensor for detecting a hanging angle of the electrical component with respect to the support member around a longitudinal axis;
Based on the hanging angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the hanging angle sensor, the connecting angle of the left main frame and the left sub frame and the connecting angle of the right main frame and the right sub frame A controller for controlling each independently,
A walking assistance device comprising:   When the controller determines that the left side is a mountain side and the right side is a valley side based on the hanging angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the hanging angle sensor, the right main The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein a connection angle between the left main frame and the left subframe is larger than a connection angle between the frame and the right subframe.   When the controller determines that the left side is the valley side and the right side is the mountain side based on the hanging angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the hanging angle sensor, the left main The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein a connection angle between the right main frame and the right subframe is larger than a connection angle between the frame and the left subframe. A left joint actuator capable of adjusting a connection angle between the left main frame and the left sub frame; and a right joint actuator capable of adjusting a connection angle between the right main frame and the right sub frame;
The controller controls each of the left joint actuator and the right joint actuator based on a suspension angle around the longitudinal axis of the electrical component detected by the suspension angle sensor, from the left front wheel. The connection angle between the main frame and the sub-frame is controlled by adjusting the distance between the left wheels to the left rear wheel and the distance between the right wheels from the right front wheel to the right rear wheel. The walking assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The controller independently controls a connection angle of the left main frame and the left subframe and a connection angle of the right main frame and the right subframe so that the handle is maintained in a horizontal state; The walking assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein   The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein each of the wheels is an in-wheel motor in which a motor is built in the wheel.   The walking assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electrical component is a power supply unit for supplying power to the wheels.

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