JP2009268655A - Walking stick with tiltable forearm supporting tool - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a walking person to obtain a natural walking posture without forcing the fist and elbow to change the angles of joints while receiving a proper biasing force, by tilting a forearm holding tool backward as against a stick pole which is tilted forward in a walking process. <P>SOLUTION: As against the side of the stick pole 10 which is tilted and rotated forward when walking is advanced (E)→(F)→(G), a movable side comprising a grip handle 20 and the forearm holding tool 11 is tilted and rotated backward relatively. Since the grip handle and the forearm holding tool move forward without changing the angle for a walking person, the movement of the arm is not forced by the movement of the stick. Thus, without forcing the joints of the fist and the elbow to bend and stretch frequently like a conventional Lofstrand crutch, natural walking is attained while keeping the proper angles of both of the joints. While receiving a gradually increasing proper biasing force from the forearm holding tool, weight can stably be applied to the palm gripping the grip handle safely without making the stick unstable. Loads to the wrist and arm of the walking person is reduced, so that walking without vertical movement nor choppy movement is attained naturally. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cane having a tiltable forearm holder.

The background art will be described with reference to a part of the description of “Patent Document 1” and FIGS. 2, 35, and 36.
FIG. 1 quotes FIG. 35 of the cited document (a side view showing three states during the walking process by the conventional “T-shaped cane”),
FIG. 2 quotes FIG. 36 of the cited document (a side view showing three states during the walking process by the conventional “Lofstrand clutch”),
FIG. 3 is a citation of FIG. 2 of the cited document (a side view showing three states during a one-step walking process with a cane of Example 1). (Begin quote below)
A so-called `` T-shaped cane '' with a grip handle that is substantially perpendicular to the upper end of a single rod is generally used to assist walking, and the cane column tilts like a pendulum as it walks It changes the movement (hereinafter referred to as “tilting”) and supports weight with a good rhythm. In the one-step walking process shown in FIG. 35 (FIG. 1),
(E) is a state of trying to leave the weight by swinging the cane forward, that is, in the traveling direction at the start of walking,
(F) is a state where the cane carrying the weight is upright,
(G) shows a state in which the cane is tilted forward as the pedestrian advances one step.
In any state, the cane can be operated only by the operation of the wrist joint without changing the angles of the upper arm and the forearm suitable for operating the cane. That is, it assists natural and smooth walking with less arm movement.
On the other hand, since the load applied to the grip handle acts to defeat the cane, a rotational force must be applied to the grip handle by the operation of the palm in order to keep the cane column indestructible. In the states (E) and (G) where the inclination of the cane is maximized, the rotational force to be applied in the counterclockwise and clockwise directions indicated by the arrows is maximized. The state of (F) is a so-called tilting dead point that can fall in either the forward or backward direction. In this state, it is difficult to control the fall of the cane at the wrist joint, and the cane does not fluctuate. Although it is stable, it can pass smoothly in a continuous walking process.
Also, the cane can be tilted in any direction (E), (F), or (G), so that the cane can be tilted in any direction, and the cane must be controlled by the wrist joint. There are some that try to relieve the weight burden of the palm by extending the part where the palm of the handle hits in the left-right direction, which slightly reduces the unstable fluctuation in the left-right direction, but it is not enough.
In this way, the “T-shaped cane” relies on the operation of only the palm to grip the handle, so the more the weight you keep, the more the cane fluctuates and the operation becomes unstable, and the wrist joint is burdened. It will be. Therefore, it cannot provide sufficient walking assistance as a walking stick that is used by elderly people and patients with reduced leg strength with a certain amount of weight.
To compensate for this drawback, a cane called “Lofstrand Clutch”, which is known to have been used by President Clinton, is used. This is provided with a forearm holder called a cuff that is formed in a cylindrical shape so that the forearm part can be inserted through the upper end of the cane column that is formed by extending further upward. It controls the wandering and deposits weight. Therefore, control can be performed to suppress wobbling both at rest and during operation, reducing the burden on the wrist. It is suitable as a cane for a disabled person such as a person with a disability in a leg to walk step by step, and can support a weight stably.
On the other hand, the forearm holder also tilts as the cane tilts, making it suitable for poking the cane through the walking process as shown in (E), (F), and (G) of Fig. 36 (Fig. 2). The angle of the forearm cannot be maintained, and the elbow joint is bent and stretched and the shoulder joint is rotated (hereinafter referred to as “rotation”). Therefore, the body is moved up and down every step, resulting in intermittent walking with a small stride. In the state of (F) to (G), the forearm holder tilts forward and pushes the forearm forward. In particular, in the state of (G), the pedestrian is unnatural about the elbow joint that received excessive pressure. As a result, the whole body will be stretched upwards, and natural and smooth walking with little movement of the arm is not possible like the “T-shaped cane” that can operate the cane only by moving the wrist joint.
... Omitted ...
When the forearm holder placed above the grip handle is pressed by the pedestrian's forearm, the connecting means is connected to be able to tilt backward with respect to the cane column, and is attached so as to return to the original position when the press is released. The present invention aims to solve the problem of combining the advantages of both the above-mentioned “T-shaped cane” and “Lofstrand clutch” and compensating for the drawbacks.
... Omitted ...
The cane with which the forearm holder according to the present invention is tiltable is ...
In the walking process shown in (E), (F), and (G) of FIG. 2 (FIG. 3 in this document), the cane column tilts forward. A pedestrian's forearm trying to maintain an angle suitable for striking the cane pushes a forearm holder that tries to tilt forward along with the cane column and tilts backward with respect to the cane column. The forearm that receives an appropriate urging force from the forearm holder gives a large rotational force in the direction of the arrow with a small force coupled with the palm gripping the handle, so that the pedestrian maintains the forearm angle suitable for striking the cane. You can leave your weight on the cane without compromising the wrist and elbow joints. In other words, the elbow joint can be operated with the grip handle while maintaining the natural angle of the forearm that is appropriately bent without being forced to unnaturally bend and stretch. Because it is supported stably without being overturned while receiving an urging force, it is possible to walk naturally and smoothly without wobbling. The burden on the wrist and arm can be reduced, and continuous walking with a natural posture without vertical movement can be assisted. Further, when the weight is removed from the cane to move to the next step, the cane column is swung forward by the biasing force. Therefore, even if it does not try to swing the cane forward, the cane moves naturally, and the effect that rhythmic continuous walking is promoted is also born. (End of quotation)

Japanese Patent No. 3605769 “cane in which the forearm holder is tiltable, and a tilting connecting device for the forearm holder that can be attached to and detached from the cane”

The cane of “Patent Document 1” is connected by the connecting means shown in Examples 3 to 8 so that the rotating body side including the forearm holder at the upper end can be rotated backward with respect to the cane column side to which the connecting body is fixed. The grip handle is connected and fixed to the connecting body or formed integrally with the connecting body and fixed to the cane pillar. For this reason, as the rotating body holding the forearm holder moves backward with respect to the cane column holding the handle, the angle of the fist holding the handle changes or the forearm part that contacts the forearm holder shifts. Examples 6 to 8 show a configuration in which the displacement of the contact portion of the forearm is minimized by connecting means using a three- or four-bar linkage mechanism. In the present invention, by attaching and fixing both the grip handle and the forearm holder to the rotating body side, the fist and the forearm without causing a change in the angle of the wrist and elbow joints and without shifting the contact portion with the forearm holder It is intended to fundamentally solve the problem of enabling a natural and smooth operation feeling.

A cane pillar formed by extending in an upright bar shape, a grip handle provided above the cane pillar, and a pipe shape or a half pipe shape with the opening directed forward, that is, in the traveling direction, disposed above the handle handle A forearm holder formed to extend short in the upright direction, and a connecting means for connecting the forearm holder so that it can move backward in the advancing direction plane including its axis when the forearm holder is pressed backward, and pressing In a cane provided with a biasing means for biasing to return to the original position when is released,
In the cane according to the present invention, both the grip handle and the forearm holder fixedly connected to each other are fixedly connected to the cane column by the connecting means so as to be movable backward, and the urging means is used to restore the cane. It is biased in the direction to return to the position. Also,

  The connecting means is fixedly attached to the upper part of the cane column and has a connecting body having a rotating support part A at its upper end, a rotating body having a rotating supported part A at its lower end, and It is comprised by the rotation control means which restrict | limits the range which can incline back and can rotate with respect to a cane pillar, and the rotation part A of both the said connection body and the said rotation body supports each other rotatably. And the said rotation receiving part A of the said rotary body is comprised so that it may be located in the vicinity of the center position of the holding area of the said handle handle.

  According to the tilting cane of the forearm holder of the present invention, both the grip handle and the forearm holder are on the rotating body side and rotate with respect to the cane column while keeping the relative position fixed, so the grip handle is gripped. There is no change in the angle of the fist or any deviation of the forearm portion that contacts the forearm holder. Therefore, the cane can be operated without greatly changing the joint angles of the wrist and elbow during the walking process. That is, the elbow joint can be operated with the grip handle while maintaining the natural angle of the forearm that is appropriately bent without being forced to bend and stretch unnaturally. In addition, since the position of the center of rotation on the rotating body side is located immediately below the center position of the gripped area of the grip handle, the pressing force of the pedestrian's forearm that contacts the forearm holder is As a result, it is possible to obtain a result of effectively tilting and rotating backward (hereinafter referred to as “backward tilt”).

FIG. 4 is a side view showing three states during a one-step walking process with the walking stick of the present embodiment.
(E) is a state that tries to deposit weight by swinging the cane forward at the start of walking,
(F) is a state where the cane carrying the weight is upright,
(G) shows a state in which the cane is tilted forward as the pedestrian advances one step.
First, in (E), the forearm holder is in its original position, and the pedestrian's forearm is a natural and suitable angle for walking with a cane. When walking proceeds to (F), the cane column is in an upright state, and when further proceeding to (G), the cane column gradually tilts forward, and accordingly the forearm holder has an angle suitable for cane operation. The angle which is pushed backward by the forearm to be maintained and tilted backward with respect to the cane column increases. During this time, the rotating body side that holds both the handle and the forearm holder and the pedestrian's forearm move horizontally while maintaining the same posture, while the cane column side rotates forward around the lower end that contacts the ground. Go.

Moreover, since the relative positions of the grip pattern and the forearm holder are not changed during this process, the posture of the pedestrian's fist and elbow does not change, and the contact position of the elbow does not shift. During this time, the forearm is allowed a natural and suitable angle change for walking with a cane while receiving a moderate urging force increasing gradually from the forearm holder (E) → (F) → (G) ( In fact, even when walking with a T-shaped cane, the natural and suitable angle of the forearm varies slightly during the walking process) and can be reasonably supported by the grip handle and forearm holder.
The entire forearm is supported by the forearm holder with a moderate urging force, and it is supported stably without falling down, making it possible to walk more naturally and smoothly without wobbling, reducing the burden on the wrist and arm, and moving up and down Can support continuous walking with no natural posture.

  A preferred embodiment of a cane having a tiltable forearm holder according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the side view of the accompanying drawings, the direction of walking with a walking stick is defined as the front and the left is indicated.

  FIG. 5 shows a cane of an embodiment to which the present invention is applied, a cane column side holding a connecting body provided with a rotating support part A, and a movable side (forearm holder) holding a rotating body provided with a rotating supported part A. FIG.

  The connecting body 30 includes a connecting hole 36 that opens downward, and is fitted and fixed to the upper end portion of the cane column 10 that is upright and formed in a rod shape. A rotation support portion A31 having a rotation support hole 32 for supporting the shaft 22 is provided. A rotation restricting hole 33 is provided at the rear of the rotation support hole 32, and a spring receiving protrusion 35 that protrudes upward in a semi-cylindrical shape and is formed in the left-right direction is provided behind the rotation restricting hole 33. The cane column is molded from a high-strength aluminum tube, and the connector 30 is molded from a reinforced resin or a light metal such as aluminum.

  The rotating body 50 is provided with a rotation receiving portion A51 having a rotation receiving hole 52 supported by the rotation shaft 22 at the front and lower sides. A rotation restricting pin hole 53 for supporting the rotation restricting pin 23 is provided behind the turn receiving hole 52, a spring receiving pin hole 54 for supporting the spring receiving pin 24 is provided behind the turn receiving pin 52, and a substantially upright rearward thereof. Two fitting holes that open upward are provided. The connecting bar 21 of the grip handle 20 is inserted and fixed in the fitting hole 57 on the front side of the two, and the connecting tube 15 for attaching and holding the forearm holder 11 on the upper end of the fitting hole 58 on the rear side. The lower end is inserted and fixed. The rotating body 50 is molded from a reinforced resin or a light metal such as aluminum.

  The forearm holder 11 is formed in a pipe shape or a half pipe shape whose opening is forward, that is, in a traveling direction, and is formed to extend short in the upright direction. . A crown 13 having a pivot pin support hole 14 penetrating in the left-right direction is fixed to the upper end portion of the connecting pipe 15, and the forearm holder 11 is attached to the pivot support hole 12 and the pivot pin support hole 14. It is supported by the inserted rotation fulcrum pin 16 and can be rotated with respect to the connecting pipe 15. The forearm holder 11 and the crown 13 are formed by resin molding, and the connecting pipe 15 is formed of a high-strength aluminum pipe.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a part of the cane according to the embodiment in which the movable side is not rotated, that is, the movable side is in the initial position.
The rotation shaft 22 is inserted into the rotation support hole 32 and the rotation receiving hole 52, and the rotation body 50 is rotatably supported with respect to the connection body 30. The grip handle 20 and the forearm holder 11 are attached to the connection body 30. The holding body 50 side (hereinafter referred to as the movable side) is configured to be rotatable with respect to the cane column side. The receiving piece G44 abuts on the upper end surface of the pressing spring 40, and the receiving piece S45 abuts on the lower end surface, and is arranged substantially in the vertical direction. The receiving piece G44 is provided with a through hole in the left-right direction, and is supported by a spring receiving pin 24 inserted into the spring receiving pin hole 54 of the rotating body 50. The lower surface of the receiving piece S45 is formed in a semicircular arc shape in the left-right direction. The biasing means that is provided with a through-groove and accommodates and fits the spring receiving projection 35 of the coupling body 30 includes the position of the spring receiving pin hole 54 of the rotating body 50 and the spring receiving projection 35 of the coupling body 30 The positions are urged in directions away from each other.
The rotation restricting means configured by the rotation restricting pin 23 passing through the rotation restricting hole 33 of the connecting body 30 being supported and fixed to the rotation restricting pin hole 53 of the rotating body 50 has a movable side on the movable side. In the initial position, the rotation restricting pin 23 abuts against the upper inner wall of the rotation restricting hole 33 and receives the urging force of the push spring 40, and the movable side holding the handle 20 and the forearm holder 11 is on the side of the cane pillar. The forward rotation posture with respect to is regulated.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view in a final state in which the movable side is inclined and rotated backward with respect to the cane column side. The cane in the final state where the backward inclination has advanced is in the state shown in FIG. 4G when actually used, but in this figure, the cane column is illustrated in an upright posture with reference to FIG. .
The movable side holding the handle 20 and the forearm holder 11 is rotated rearward with respect to the cane pillar side, and the length of the push spring 40 is reduced, and the increased biasing force is applied to the pedestrian via the forearm holder 11. The forearm is pressed. The rotation restricting pin 23 is in contact with the lower inner wall of the rotation restricting hole 33, and the movable side holding the grip handle 20 and the forearm holder 11 restricts the backward turning posture with respect to the cane pillar side. That is, the rotation restricting means stops the rotation on the movable side at the final position of backward tilt.

  The connecting mechanism capable of tilting the forearm holder according to the present invention can be used for walking assistance of pedestrians having obstacles or weak points in their arms, legs, waists, and the like.

Is a side view (Figure 35) showing three states during the walking process with a conventional "T-shaped cane". Is a side view (Fig. 36 of the cited document) showing the three states during the walking process with the conventional "Lofstrand clutch". Cited side view (Fig. 2 of the cited document) showing three states during the one-step walking process with the cane of Example 1 in the cited document. The side view which shows three states in the walk process of one step by the cane of the Example to which this invention is applied Partial cross-sectional development side view in which the cane column side holding the connecting body provided with the rotating support part A and the movable side holding the rotating body provided with the rotating supported part A are separated from each other. Partial cross-sectional side view with the movable side not rotated, i.e., with the movable side in the initial position Partial cross-sectional side view in the final state with the movable side tilted and rotated backward with respect to the cane column side

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cane pillar 11 Forearm holder 12 Rotation fulcrum hole 13 Crown 14 Rotation pin support hole 15 Connection pipe 16 Rotation fulcrum pin 20 Grasping handle 21 Connection bar 22 Rotation shaft 23 Rotation restriction pin 24 Spring receiving pin 30 Connection Body 31 Rotating bearing A
32 Rotating support hole 33 Rotation restricting hole 35 Spring receiving projection 36 Connecting hole 40 Push spring 44 Receiving piece G
45 Receiving piece S
50 Rotating body 51 Rotating supported part A
52 Rotating bearing hole 53 Rotation regulating pin hole 54 Spring receiving pin hole 57 Fitting hole on the front side 58 Fitting hole on the rear side

Claims (2)

A cane pillar formed by extending in an upright bar shape, a grip handle provided above the cane pillar, and a pipe shape or a half pipe shape with the opening directed forward, that is, in the traveling direction, disposed above the handle handle A forearm holder formed to extend short in the upright direction, and a connecting means for connecting the forearm holder so that it can move backward in the advancing direction plane including its axis when the forearm holder is pressed backward, and pressing In a cane provided with a biasing means for biasing to return to the original position when is released,
Both the grip handle and the forearm holder fixedly connected and fixed to each other are connected to the cane column so as to be able to move backward with the connecting means, and return to the original position by the biasing means. A cane characterized by being energized.   The connecting means is fixedly attached to the upper part of the cane column and has a connecting body having a rotating support part A at its upper end, a rotating body having a rotating supported part A at its lower end, and It is comprised by the rotation control means which restrict | limits the range which can incline back and can rotate with respect to a cane pillar, and the rotation part A of both the said connection body and the said rotation body supports each other rotatably. 2. The cane according to claim 1, wherein the pivot receiving part A of the pivoting body is configured to be positioned in the vicinity immediately below the center position of the gripped area of the grip handle.

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