JP2012081124A - Walking assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walking assist device whose operating condition can be easily recognized by a user, a helper and the like.SOLUTION: The walking assist device 10 includes: a main frame 22 substantially in a C-shape; electric motor units 26 and 28; a pair of right and left swing arms 60 and 62 which are connected with output shafts of the electric motor units; and an electrical component unit 14. The device has: a first display 101 arranged on the back surface of the main frame in a part corresponding to the lower back so that it may be exposed backward; a second display 102 arranged at the left end of a hip frame so that it may be exposed forward and leftward; and a third display 103 arranged at the right end of the hip frame so that it may be exposed forward and rightward. The electrical component unit controls the display mode of the first to third displays in accordance with the operating condition of the waking assist device and controls the display mode so that it may be the same among the first to third displays.

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assistance device that applies power of a power generation device to a lower limb of a user as a walking assistance force.

  Power of the power generator is applied to the lower limbs of the user (wearer), especially the thigh as walking assistance (walking assistance) for walking assistance and walking rehabilitation for those with weak muscles in the lower limbs A walking assist device is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). This type of walking assist device corresponds to the substantially C-shaped waist frame that is attached to the user's waist and extends from the user's waist back to the left and right waist sides, and the left and right waist sides of the waist frame. It includes a left and right power generation device attached to the part, and a thigh orthosis (arm) that transmits the power generated by the power generation device to the thigh as an assist force for thigh movement (walking assist force).

JP 2006-320349 A JP 2006-320350 A JP 2007-152035 A JP 2009-95645 A

  It is preferable that the walking assist device can easily grasp the state when viewed from the user or an assistant who assists the user. The state of the walking assistance device here is a state where the power is turned off, a standby state where the power is turned on but the operation of the power generation device is prohibited, an operable state where the power generation device is operable, and a walking assistance An error state in which an error has occurred in the device, a system check state during system check, etc. In particular, the walking assistance device provides a walking assistance force corresponding to the movement of the thigh after detecting the movement of the user's thigh, and therefore the walking assistance device until the user tries to move the thigh. There is a problem of not knowing the state of.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above background, Comprising: It makes it a subject that a user and a caregiver can recognize the state of a walking assistance apparatus easily.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a substantially C-shaped waist frame (22) attached to the user's waist and extending from the back of the waist to the left and right waist sides, and a pair of left and right supported by the waist frame Power generation device (26, 28), a pair of left and right arms (60, 62) coupled to the output shaft of the power generation device and transmitting the output of the power generation device to a user's leg, and the waist A walking assistance device (10) that is supported by a frame and includes an electrical unit (14) that controls the power generation device, and is exposed rearward on a rear surface of a portion of the waist frame corresponding to the waist back portion. A first display unit (101) provided to perform, a second display unit (102) provided to be exposed forward and left at the left end of the waist frame, and the waist frame On the right end of the front and right A third display unit (103) provided so as to be exposed, and the electrical unit controls display modes of the first to third display units according to an operating state of the walking assist device. The display modes of the first to third display units are controlled to be the same.

  According to this configuration, the user and the assistant can easily visually recognize the state of the walking assistance device from any of the front, rear, left, and right directions of the walking assistance device.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, each of the first to third display units has an LED, and the electrical unit is configured to change the first to third display units according to an operating state of the walking assist device. It is characterized in that at least one of the emission color, emission intensity and emission interval of the LED is changed.

  According to this configuration, the walking assistance device can give a display that is easily visible to the user and the assistant.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the electrical unit includes at least (1) a standby state in which the electrical unit is activated, but power supply to the power generator is prohibited, and (2) in the standby state. A system check state in which a system check of the electrical unit is performed; (3) an operable state in which the electrical unit is activated and power can be supplied to the power generation device; and (4) the electrical unit. In addition, the display mode of the first to third display units is changed according to an error state in which an abnormality has occurred in the power generation device.

  According to this configuration, the walking assistance device can make the user and the assistant recognize various states.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the electrical unit has a buzzer (99) for generating sound, and the first to third display portions are in accordance with the states (1) to (4). The display mode and the buzzer sounding mode are controlled.

  According to this configuration, the walking assistance device can cause the user and the assistant to recognize various states using hearing in addition to vision.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the electrical unit has a display mode of the first to third display units and a sounding mode of the buzzer according to the remaining amount of the battery (92) that supplies power to the electrical unit. It is characterized by controlling.

  According to this configuration, the walking assistance device can make the user and the assistant recognize the remaining battery level.

  According to the above configuration, the walking assistance device can make the user or the assistant easily recognize the state.

The perspective view which shows the walking assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment The rear view which shows the walking assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment The block diagram which shows typically the electric circuit of the walking assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a walking assistance device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction of the walking assist device will be described based on the directions shown in the drawings. The walking assist device has a substantially bilaterally symmetric structure, and when attached to the user, the front-rear direction coincides with the user's sagittal axis, and the left-right direction corresponds to the user's forehead axis. Match.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walking assist device 10 has a waist orthosis 12. The waist orthosis 12 includes a hollow main frame (waist frame) 22 having a substantially C shape in plan view. The main frame 22 is attached to the user's waist, and extends from the waist back to the left and right waist sides and forward, and constitutes a left front end portion 22B and a right front end portion 22C. The main frame 22 is a plastic molded product, and is made of a material having high rigidity (mechanical strength) such as polyamide resin, glass fiber reinforced plastic, or carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an accommodation hole 25 penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the intermediate portion 22 </ b> A corresponding to the user's lower back portion of the main frame 22. Is housed. The electrical unit 14 is bolted to the periphery of the accommodation hole 25 via a rubber bush while being accommodated in the accommodation hole 25.

  As shown in FIG. 1, on the front side of the intermediate portion 22A of the main frame 22, a back pad 24 that abuts against the user's lower back is rotatably attached via a hinge. The back part contact plate 24 exposes the front surface of the electrical unit 14 to the front side by rotating to the front side.

  An abdominal belt 30 that is wound around the user's abdomen is provided inside the main frame 22. The abdomen belt 30 includes a left belt 36 and a right belt 38 whose rear ends are coupled to the main frame 22, a front belt 40 connected to the front ends of the left belt 36 and the right belt 38 via a buckle 39, A wide left lateral belly belt 44 and a right lateral abdominal belt 46 are provided inside the belt 36 and the right belt 38 (on the user side). These belts 36, 38, 40, 44, 46 are made of a flexible material such as woven fabric or leather. The front end portions of the left belt 36 and the right belt 38 are held by a left stabilizer member 48 and a right stabilizer member 49 extending from the left and right front end portions 22B and 22C of the main frame 22.

  A left electric motor unit 26 and a right electric motor unit 28, which are power generation devices, are attached to the lower sides of the left and right front end portions 22B and 22C so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The left and right electric motor units 26, 28 have electric motors 51, 52 and angle sensors 53, 54 for detecting the rotation angle of the output members of the electric motors 51, 52 in casings 55, 56.

  The electric motor units 26 and 28 are detachably connected to base end portions 60A and 62A of swing arms (thigh frames) 60 and 62 connected to output members of the electric motors 51 and 52 in a torque transmission relationship. Yes.

  The swing arms 60 and 62 are made of a light metal such as aluminum, or a material having high rigidity such as glass fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and from the outside of the user's hip joint to the front of the user's thigh. It is formed in a twisted shape so as to extend along the thigh.

  Thigh front abutment plates 68 and 70 are attached to the front end portions 60B and 62B located on the thigh front side of the swing arms 60 and 62 so as to be able to swing. The thigh front plate 68, 70 is made of plastic and has a curved shape that matches the shape of the front thigh, and a number of slits extending in the vertical direction are formed to improve air permeability and flexibility. Has been. Thigh belts 73 and 74 wound around the user's thighs are coupled to the front thigh plate 68 and 70 via buckles 75 and 76.

  The electrical unit 14 includes an ECU 91 including a microcomputer constituted by a CPU, a memory, and the like, a battery 92 for supplying electric power to the ECU 91 and the left and right electric motors 51 and 52, and a pair of left and right inverters 93 controlled by the ECU 91. 94, a main power switch 96 for connecting / disconnecting the battery 92, the ECU 91 and the left and right electric motors 51, 52, a DC / DC converter 95 for transforming the voltage of the battery 92 to a voltage suitable for the ECU 91, And a buzzer 99 that controls operation and generates a warning sound (see FIG. 3).

  The main power switch 96 is a switch that opens and closes an electric circuit, and may be a push button switch of a position holding type switch (alternate switch) that is turned on and off each time it is pressed. As shown in FIG. A push button as an operation unit is provided on the rear surface of the electrical unit 14 so as to be exposed rearward. As shown in FIG. 3, the main power switch 96 can supply power from the battery 92 to the ECU 91 and the left and right electric motors 51 and 52 via the pair of left and right inverters 93 and 94 when turned on. On the other hand, power supply from the battery 92 to the ECU 91 and the left and right electric motors 51 and 52 is cut off in the off state.

  A first display unit 101 is provided on the surface exposed behind the main power switch 96. The first display unit 101 includes a two-color LED provided inside the push button and a translucent cover that covers the two-color LED. The light emission state of the first display unit 101 is behind the walking assist device 10. Visible from the person who is located.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ECU 91 receives signals from the left hand switch 97 and the right hand switch 98 provided at the left and right front end portions 22 </ b> B and 22 </ b> C of the main frame 22. The left hand switch 97 and the right hand switch 98 are provided on the left and right front end portions 22B and 22C of the main frame 22 so as to be tiltable. The left hand switch 97 and the right hand switch 98 are biased in one tilting direction by a torsion spring, and output signals to the ECU 91 when pressed in the other tilting direction against the biasing force of the torsion spring. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the front surfaces of the left and right hand switches 97 and 98 are formed in a curved shape, and a second display unit 102 and a third display unit 103 are provided on the front surfaces thereof. The second display unit 102 includes a two-color LED and a translucent cover that covers the two-color LED, and the light emission state of the second display unit 102 is a person located in front, left, or above the walking assist device 10. Is visible. Similarly, the 3rd display part 103 is provided with 2 color LED and a cover, and can be visually recognized from the person located ahead, the right side, and the upper direction of the walking assistance apparatus 10. FIG. The two-color LEDs of the first to third display units 101 to 103 can emit light in red or green, respectively, are connected to the ECU 91, and the light emission mode of the light emission color, light emission intensity, and light emission interval is controlled by the ECU 91. . In the present embodiment, the two-color LEDs of the first to third display units 101 to 103 are controlled to have the same light emission mode.

  If neither the left or right hand switches 97, 98 are operated after the main power switch 96 is turned on, the power is supplied from the battery 92 to the ECU 91 and the left and right inverters 93, 94. , 94 is not controlled to open and close, the operation of the left and right electric motors 51 and 52 is prohibited. This state is called a standby state. When either of the left and right hand switches 97, 98 from the standby state is operated and a signal is input to the ECU 91 from either of the left and right hand switches 97, 98, the ECU 91 can control the left and right inverters 93, 94. Thus, the left and right electric motors 51 and 52 can be operated. This state is called an operable state. When one of the left and right hand switches 97, 98 is operated again from this operable state, a signal is input from the hand switches 97, 98 to the ECU 91, the control of the left and right inverters 93, 94 by the ECU 91 is prohibited, The electric motors 51 and 52 become inoperable. When the main power switch 96 is turned off in the operable state, the power supply from the battery 92 to the ECU 91 and the electric motors 51 and 52 is cut off, and the electric motors 51 and 52 are not driven.

  In the operable state, when the swing arms 60 and 62 are rotated according to the movement of the user's thighs, the ECU 91 rotates the swing arms 60 and 62 according to the angle signal detected by the angle sensor 53. And the left and right inverters 93 and 94 are driven to drive the left and right electric motors 51 and 52. As a result, the power generated by the left and right electric motors 51 and 52 is applied to the user's thigh as a walking assist force.

  The ECU 91 can take at least a system check state and an error state in addition to the standby state and the operable state. The system check state is a state that can be taken when the ECU 91 is in a standby state. The ECU 91 compares the value input from the angle sensor 53 and other sensors with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether the system is operating normally. It is in a state of confirming. The error state is a state that is taken when an abnormality is detected in the system check state. In this state, the transition to the operable state is prohibited, and signals are input to the ECU 91 from the left and right hand switches 97, 98. Does not change to an operable state.

  The first to third display units 101 to 103 and the buzzer 99 visually and auditorily indicate whether the walking assist device 10 is in the standby state, the operable state, the system check state, or the error state. Indicate. For example, in the standby state, the first to third display units 101 to 103 continue to emit green light with the same brightness and the buzzer 99 does not ring. In the operable state, the first to third display units 101 to 103 are used. Continue to emit red light at the same brightness and the buzzer 99 does not sound, and in the system check state, the first to third display units 101 to 103 repeat flashing light emission at the same brightness in green at intervals of 1 second. In addition, the buzzer 99 does not sound, and in an error state, the first to third display units 101 to 103 repeat flashing light emission at red intervals at the same brightness, and the buzzer 99 emits a warning sound. Good.

  Further, the ECU 91 determines whether or not the voltage supplied from the battery 92 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value. If the voltage is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the first to third display units 101 to 103 indicate that the remaining battery level is low. The flashing light emission may be repeated at intervals of 2 seconds in red with the same brightness, and a warning sound different from that in the error state may be emitted from the buzzer 99.

  In this embodiment, the 1st display part 101 is provided in the position which can be visually recognized from the back of the walking assistance apparatus 10, and the 2nd display part 102 is provided in the position which can be visually recognized from the front of the walking assistance apparatus 10, left, and upper direction, Since the 3rd display part 103 was provided in the position which can be visually recognized from the front, the right side, and the upper direction of the walking assistance apparatus 10, all the 1st-3rd display parts 101-103 showed the same display mode, and the walking assistance apparatus The assistant who assists the 10 users can visually grasp the state of the walking assist device 10 from any of the front, rear, left and right directions of the walking assist device 10. Note that the user of the walking assistance device 10 can check the second display unit 102 or the third display unit 103 from above.

  Moreover, the variation of the state transmitted to a user etc. can be increased by using the buzzer 99 together with the 1st-3rd display parts 101-103. In particular, the warning sound generated by the buzzer 99 can cause the user or the like to recognize the state of the walking assist device 10 even when the first to third display units 101 to 103 are not viewed. This is useful when it is necessary for the user to reliably recognize an abnormal state such as when the remaining amount of the battery is low.

  Although the description of the specific embodiment is finished as described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be widely modified. For example, the two-color LED can be replaced with various known LEDs or light emitters (light bulbs), and can display various states of the walking assist device 10 by increasing the emission color. In the embodiment, the first to third display units 101 to 103 are provided on the main power switch 96 and the left and right hand switches 97 and 98, but may be provided directly on the rear surface of the electrical unit 14 or the main frame 22. . Further, in the embodiment, the display mode and the ringing mode of the first to third display units 101 to 103 and the buzzer 99 are shown by taking the standby state and the operable state as examples, but according to various other states. The display mode and the like may be changed.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Walking assistance device, 12 ... Lumbar orthosis, 14 ... Electrical equipment unit, 22 ... Main frame (waist frame), 22A ... Middle part, 22B ... Left front end part, 22C ... Right front end part, 26, 28 ... Electric motor unit, 51, 52 ... Electric motor, 53 ... Angle sensor, 60, 62 ... Swing arm, 91 ... ECU, 92 ... Battery, 93 ... Inverter, 95 ... DC / DC converter, 96 ... Main power switch, 97 ... Left hand switch, 98 ... right hand switch, 99 ... buzzer, 101 ... first display unit, 102 ... second display unit, 103 ... third display unit,

Claims (5)

A substantially C-shaped waist frame that is mounted on the user's waist and extends from the waist back to the left and right waist sides, a pair of left and right power generators supported by the waist frame, and A walking assist device comprising a pair of left and right arms coupled to an output shaft and transmitting the output of the power generation device to a user's leg, and an electrical unit supported by the waist frame and controlling the power generation device Because
A first display portion provided on the rear surface of the portion corresponding to the waist back portion of the waist frame so as to be exposed rearward;
A second display portion provided at the left end portion of the waist frame so as to be exposed forward and leftward;
A third display portion provided at the right end of the waist frame so as to be exposed forward and to the right;
The electrical unit controls the display modes of the first to third display units according to the operating state of the walking assist device, and controls the display modes of the first to third display units to be the same. A walking assist device characterized by that. Each of the first to third display units has an LED,
The electrical unit changes at least one of a light emission color, a light emission intensity, and a light emission interval of the LEDs of the first to third display units according to an operating state of the walking assist device. Item 2. The walking assist device according to Item 1.   The electrical unit has at least (1) a standby state in which the electrical unit is activated but power supply to the power generation device is prohibited, and (2) a system check of the electrical unit is performed in the standby state. (3) An operational state in which the electrical unit is activated and power can be supplied to the power generation device, (4) An abnormality has occurred in the electrical unit and / or the power generation device The walking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the display mode of the first to third display units is changed in accordance with an error state in which the error occurs. The electrical unit is
Has a buzzer to generate sound,
The walking assistance device according to claim 3, wherein the display mode of the first to third display units and the sounding mode of the buzzer are controlled according to the states (1) to (4).   The electrical unit controls the display mode of the first to third display units and the sounding mode of the buzzer according to the remaining amount of a battery that supplies power to the electrical unit. The walking assist device according to 1.

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