JP2014073217A - Walking assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate putting-on a walking assist device that assists walking or the like.SOLUTION: The walking assist device comprises: a saddle link 11 that comprises a saddle seat 112 on which a user sits on, a front handlebar 113F positioned at the front of the saddle link 11, a rear handlebar 113R positioned at the rear of the saddle link 11, and a handlebar control mechanism that moves the rear handlebar 113R toward the direction opposite to the operation direction of the front handlebar 113F; and a control unit that enables the execution of an assist process for reducing a burden of a user by applying assisting force on right and left leg parts.

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assist device that reduces a user's load by applying an assist force when a user walks.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, walking assist devices have been developed that are attached to a user's body and apply assist force to a movable part of the user's leg. Such a walking assistance device is expected to be used as a device for assisting elderly people and the disabled. In addition, it is expected to reduce physical burden in work by using it as an auxiliary device for users who carry heavy loads such as courier companies as well as elderly people.

  As such a walking assist device, Patent Document 1 discloses an operation assist device that applies an assist force according to the wearer's will by driving an actuator such as a motor based on the myoelectric potential signal detected by the ecological signal detection means. Is disclosed.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a walking assist device that suppresses a sense of incongruity with walking assist by adapting a reversal timing of torque applied to a knee joint to walking motion of a user.

  The walking assistance device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 assists walking by applying an assisting force to a member mounted on the outside of a user's leg. On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a walking assist device used in a form that a user straddles. In this walking assist device, mounting assist control for facilitating mounting is performed by pushing up a seating member on which the user sits straddling.

JP 2011-25053 A JP 2010-148638 A Japanese Patent No. 4872821

  The walking assist device increases in weight because various members need strength to assist, and it is necessary to mount an actuator such as a motor and a battery to apply assist force. It is expected that. On the other hand, a user who uses the walking assist device is expected to be a person who has difficulty when attaching or detaching the walking assist device, such as being elderly or having a disease in the leg.

  In the walking assist device in the form of applying assist force to the members mounted on the outside of the user's legs disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, it is necessary to mount the walking assist device on both legs, and this is done by oneself. It is difficult and in some cases the help of others is required.

  In particular, the walking assistance device disclosed in Patent Document 3 is configured to be worn across, but the user at the time of wearing will hold the grip portion 1d positioned later. In such a mounting method, the user needs to twist the upper body to grip the grip portion 1d, and it may be difficult for an elderly person or a disabled person who needs assistance.

Therefore, the walking assist device according to the present invention is
In the walking assistance device that is attached to the user's leg and assists the user's walking by applying assist force,
Provided with left and right leg parts, saddle links connecting the left and right leg parts, and a control unit,
The saddle link is
A saddle seat for the user to sit on,
A front handle located in front of the saddle link;
A rear handle located behind the saddle link;
A handle control mechanism for moving the rear handle in a direction opposite to the operation direction of the front handle,
The control unit can execute an assist process for reducing a user's load by applying an assist force to the left and right leg parts.

Furthermore, in the walking assistance device according to the present invention,
The front handle is movable;
The handle control mechanism moves the rear handle based on the movement of the front handle.

Furthermore, in the walking assistance device according to the present invention,
The handle control mechanism moves the rear handle by a movement amount larger than a movement amount of the front handle.

Furthermore, in the walking assistance device according to the present invention,
The handle control mechanism includes a reversing gear that converts a movement amount of the front handle into a movement amount of the rear handle.

Furthermore, in the walking assistance device according to the present invention,
The handle control mechanism is
An operation direction detection sensor for detecting an operation direction of the front handle;
An actuator for moving the rear handle;
And a handle movement control unit that drives the actuator based on the operation direction detected by the operation direction detection sensor.

Furthermore, in the walking assistance device according to the present invention,
The left and right leg parts are provided with an upper leg link, a lower leg link, a foot link, a sliding part, a knee joint, an ankle joint, and a first actuator.
The saddle link and the upper thigh link are slidably connected via the sliding portion,
The upper thigh link and the lower thigh link are rotatably connected via the knee joint,
The lower leg link and the foot link are rotatably connected via the ankle joint,
The first actuator rotates the upper leg link and the lower leg link by applying a driving force to the knee joint,
The assist process is characterized in that a user's load is reduced by applying a driving force to at least the first actuator.

The walking assistance device according to the present invention is a walking assistance device configured to be seated on a saddle seat, and the rear handle located behind the saddle link is attached to the front handle located in front of the saddle link when mounted or removed. By moving in the direction opposite to the operation direction, the user can hold the front handle and the rear handle in a state in which the twist of the upper body is suppressed.

Side view and front view of walking assist device according to embodiment of the present invention The block diagram which shows the control structure of the walking assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which showed a mode that the walking assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention was mounted | worn. The figure which showed the mode at the time of mounting | wearing with the walking assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the mode of the rear handle movement accompanying operation of the front handle concerning an embodiment of the present invention (top view) The figure for demonstrating the mode of the rear handle movement accompanying operation of the front handle which concerns on embodiment of this invention (front view) The figure for demonstrating the mode of the rear handle movement accompanying operation of the front handle which concerns on other embodiment of this invention (front view) FIG. 3 is a control diagram showing a control mechanism for moving the rear handle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a control diagram showing a control mechanism for moving the rear handle according to another embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the steering wheel control processing which concerns on embodiment of this invention

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a walking assist device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a left side view of the walking assist device 1, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the walking assist device 1, both of which are shown in a state where the user is not wearing them.

  The walking assist device 1 according to this embodiment includes the left and right leg parts 19R and 19L, the saddle link 11 that connects the left and right leg parts 19R and 19L, and the control unit 30. The saddle link 11 is provided with sliding rails 111R, L for slidably connecting the left and right leg parts 19R, L, and a saddle seat 112 for a user to sit in a straddled state. The user sits on the saddle seat 112 so as to straddle the walking assistance device 1 and wears the walking assistance device 1. Hereinafter, various configurations such as the leg parts 19R, 19L will be described.

  The leg part 19 includes a sliding portion 12, an upper thigh link 13, a knee joint 14, a lower thigh link 15, an ankle joint 16, and a foot link 17 in order from the top of the figure. In the present specification, “foot” is used as a term that means a part ahead of the ankle, and “leg” is used as a term that includes the upper leg, lower leg, foot, and the like.

  The saddle link 11 is located between the user's crotch when the walking assist device 1 is mounted. At the time of assist, an actuator is used to rotate at least the knee joint 14 to apply an assist force to the saddle link 11 in the direction of lifting the user, thereby reducing the weight of the user and allowing the user to walk or stand. Reduce the burden when you are.

  The sliding part 12 connects the saddle link 11 and the upper thigh link 13 so as to be slidable. The sliding part 12 of this embodiment can make the upper leg link 13 follow the user's movement by sliding on the sliding rail 111 provided on the saddle link 11 side. The slide rail 111 is formed so as to draw an arc downward. With such a shape, the sliding center position is made to substantially coincide with the rotation center of the upper leg of the user wearing the walking assist device 1, that is, near the user's waist. One reason for this is that since the walking assist device 1 is mounted on the user's crotch, the center of rotation of the upper thigh link 13 cannot be positioned near the user's waist.

  The sliding portion 12 may be added to the left and right rotation (rotation on the paper surface of FIG. 2) in addition to sliding (rotation on the paper surface of FIG. 1A) when walking. Good. It becomes possible to cope with the movement of the user opening the crotch.

  The knee joint 14 rotatably connects the upper leg link 13 and the lower leg link 15. The knee joint 14 is rotatable in the front-rear direction when walking. The ankle joint 16 connects the lower leg link 15 and the foot link 17 so as to be rotatable. The ankle joint 16 is also rotatable in the front-rear direction when walking.

  In the present embodiment, the saddle seat 112 is provided with a handle for raising and lowering the saddle link 1 when the user wears the walking assist device 1. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the sliding portion 12 is freely movable on the sliding rail 111, it is conceivable that the saddle seat 11 including the saddle seat 112 tilts forward and backward. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R are connected to the saddle seat 112 so as to be positioned in front of and behind the saddle link 11, respectively. The user grasps the front handle 113 </ b> F with one hand, grasps the rear handle 113 </ b> R with the opposite hand, raises the saddle link 11, and attaches the walking assist device 1 so as to sit on the saddle seat 112. The front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R are not necessarily connected to the saddle seat 112 as in the present embodiment as long as the saddle link 112 can be raised and lowered. It is conceivable to adopt various forms such as connecting to 11.

  When the walking assistance device 1 is mounted, the ankle joint 14 is preferably in a half-braking state by the first actuator 51 or in a half-braking state by a braking portion (brake mechanism) provided separately in the ankle joint. The user can adjust the position of the saddle link 11 so that the saddle seat 12 is in a suitable position while holding the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R.

  FIG. 2 shows a control configuration of the walking assist device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The walking assistance device 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be worn by a user striding and fixing the user's foot and the foot link 17. In such a mounting form, by applying an assist force in the direction of extending the upper thigh link 13 and the lower thigh link 15 to the first actuators 51 provided at the left and right knee joints 14, And assisting with part of the weight when the user is standing.

  The main control configuration includes a control ECU 101 for overall control of the entire walking assist device, a first actuator 51 provided at the left and right knee joints 14, a first angle detection sensor 61, and a slide provided at the left and right sliding portions 12. It is possible to indicate the movement position detection sensor 62, the third angle detection sensor 63 provided at the left and right ankle joints 16, the left and right sole sensors 64, various sensors for acquiring information on the outside world during walking, the operation state, and the like. It is comprised including the input means.

  The foot link 17 is a member capable of fixing a user's foot, and has a structure such as a shoe, for example, and is fixed to the user's foot when worn by the user.

The leg part 19 is provided with various sensors for detecting the state of the user's leg. In the present embodiment, a first angle detection sensor 61 that is provided at the knee joint 14 and detects an angle formed by the upper leg link 13 and the lower leg link 15, and a sliding part that is provided at the sliding part 12 and that is against the saddle link 11. 12, a sliding position detection sensor 62 capable of detecting the position of 12 and a third angle detection sensor 63 provided at the ankle joint 16 for detecting an angle formed by the crus link 15 and the foot link 17 are provided. Information detected by these various sensors 61 to 63 is transmitted to the control ECU 101. The control ECU 101 predicts the movement of the body based on the received detection information and applies an assist force to at least the first actuator 51. For the control of the assist force, a sensor that measures the myoelectric potential of the user may be used in addition to the various sensors 61 to 63 described above.

  Further, the foot link 17 is provided with a foot sensor 64. The sole sensor 64 can detect a standing state where the sole of the foot is on the ground or a floating leg state floating from the ground. The sole sensor 64 may further acquire a load distribution on the sole. By using the sole sensor 64, it is possible to determine the mounting state of the foot link 17.

  In addition, the control unit 30 of the present embodiment is provided with various sensors that detect the surroundings of the user wearing the walking assistance device. As various sensors, the front camera 65, the rear camera 66, and the GPS signal from the satellite that respectively capture the user's front and rear views are received, the walking position is detected, and the user is referred to by referring to the map information. A navigation module 67 that leads to the ground, a wireless communication module 68 that connects to a communication network such as the Internet, and acquires various types of information. In addition, a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance from the user to the obstacle may be provided. Such a distance measuring sensor can be realized by three-dimensional imaging of the outside world using two cameras, and can also be used as the front camera 65 and the rear camera 66.

  In the present embodiment, an acceleration sensor 69 capable of detecting the direction of gravity in the saddle link 11 is provided. The acceleration sensor 69 functions as a sensor that detects various states such as the user's walking direction when performing the assist process.

  Further, the control unit 30 of the present embodiment is provided with input means for making various instructions and settings for the walking assistance device. As an input means, it is possible to provide the input part 81 for performing various instructions and setting with respect to a walking assistance apparatus. The input unit 81 is configured by various user interfaces such as a switch, and can instruct or set power on / off of the walking assistance device, execution of assist processing, wearing processing, and the like.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing such various sensors for the walking assistance device, not only safe walking assistance but also route guidance to the destination and various information are provided to the user. It becomes possible to do. In addition, confirmation of various information is good also as outputting sound and an image using notification means, such as a speaker and a display connected to control ECU101.

  Then, mounting | wearing of the walking assistance apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated using figures. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one form of wearing the walking assistance device. The walking assistance device 1 is in a folded state as shown in the figure before mounting. In this embodiment, the user grasps the front handle 113F provided in front of the saddle seat 112 with one hand and the rear handle 113R provided behind the saddle seat 112 with the other hand, thereby The saddle link 11 including 112 can be moved up and down. At the time of wearing, a driving force may be applied to the first actuator 51 that rotates the knee joint 14 to extend the leg part 19.

FIG. 4 shows a left side view (FIG. 4A) and a front view (FIG. 4B) of the state when the walking assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted. When the user walks or stands up, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first actuator 51 of the knee joint 14 applies an assisting force in the direction in which the leg part 19 is extended, thereby the saddle. Sheet 11
It is possible to lift the user at 2 and reduce the burden on the user's legs.

  As described above, since the walking assist device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted across the saddle seat 112, the front handle 113F provided at the front of the saddle seat 112 and the rear handle 113R provided at the rear of the saddle seat 112 are provided. It is necessary to grasp. Therefore, the user needs to twist the upper body in either the left or right direction. However, such upper body twisting may be difficult for the elderly or disabled. The walking assist device 1 of the present embodiment is intended to reduce the burden on the user when wearing such a device.

  For this reason, in the walking assist device 1 of the present embodiment, the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R are characterized. FIG. 5 is a diagram (top view) for explaining the state of the rear handle movement accompanying the operation of the front handle according to the embodiment of the present invention. The lower part of the drawing is the user's front direction

  In the present embodiment, with the operation of the front handle 113F, the rear handle 113R is moved in the opposite direction in the left-right direction of the user. Here, the “movement” of the rear handle 113R means that the rear handle 113R is rotated by a rotation shaft provided on the rear handle 113R, or is slid in parallel by an appropriate movement mechanism of the rear handle 113R. To do.

  FIG. 5A shows a state where the user operates the front handle 113F in the right direction. In the figure, the front handle 113F is tilted rightward by the user's operation. However, the front handle 113F does not necessarily have to be moved as long as the operation direction by the user can be detected. In this embodiment, when an operation in the right direction with respect to the front handle 113F is detected as shown in FIG. 5A, the rear handle 113R is placed on the opposite side of the user's body, that is, in the left direction of the user. It is moved.

  When the user operates the front handle 113F in the right direction, the user grips the front handle 113F with the right hand. At this time, the rear handle 113R moves in the left direction. It moves to the position where it is easy to do. Therefore, when wearing the walking assist device 1, the user can grasp the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R while suppressing the twisting of the upper body.

  FIG. 5B shows a case where a leftward operation is performed on the front handle 113F. In this case, the user operates the front handle 113F in the left direction with the left hand, but the rear handle 113R is moved in the right direction with respect to the user to hold the rear handle 113R with the right hand. It becomes possible to make it easy.

As described above, the front handle 113F may be configured not to move, but by allowing the front handle 113F to be moved according to the user's operation, the twist of the state when the walking assist device 1 is mounted is further suppressed. It is possible to reduce the burden on the user.
FIG. 6 is a diagram (front view) for explaining a state of rear handle movement accompanying the operation of the front handle according to the embodiment of the present invention. The saddle sheet 112 is a cross-sectional view between AA ′ in FIG. Further, the front handle 113 is shown in a transparent state for easy understanding. FIG. 6 (O) shows a neutral state when no operation is performed. On the other hand, FIGS. 6 (A) and 6 (B) are diagrams corresponding to FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B). When the user operates the front handle 113F in the right direction, The state when operating in the direction is shown. In the present embodiment, the burden on the user is further reduced by moving the front handle 113F by a user operation.

  In the form shown in FIG. 6, each of the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R is rotated by a rotation shaft. However, the movement of the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R is such a rotation. Besides the form, it may be a parallel movement (slide). FIG. 7 is a view (front view) for explaining the movement of the rear handle 113R in accordance with the operation of the front handle 113F according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment of FIG. 7, the rear handle 113R is translated in accordance with the operation (movement) of the front handle 113F. FIGS. 7A and 6B are diagrams corresponding to FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively, and when the user operates the front handle 113F in the right direction, respectively. The state when operating is shown. Also in the present embodiment, the burden on the user is further reduced by moving the front handle 113F by the user's operation.

  In FIGS. 7A and 7B, the front handle 113F is moved. However, the movement amount Xb of the rear handle 113R accompanying the operation of the front handle 113F is larger than the movement amount Xa of the front handle 113F. It is preferable to make it easier to grasp the rear handle 113R. Further, the amount of movement of the rear handle 113R may be varied according to the amount of operation with respect to the front handle 113R. As the operation amount of the front handle 113R, the amount of movement of the front handle 113F as shown in FIG. 7 and the pressure value due to the operation of the front handle 113F can be considered.

  Now, the control mechanism for the movement of the rear handle 113R during such mounting will be described. FIG. 8 shows a controller for moving the rear handle 113R according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the form of FIG. 8, the moving amount of the front handle 113F is converted into the moving amount of the rear handle 113R by a mechanical mechanism. Therefore, in such an embodiment, it is assumed that the front handle 113F is movable.

  The front handle 113F is provided with a rotation shaft 121a for transmitting the rotation. The rotating shaft 121a is provided with a spring mechanism 122 that returns the front handle 113F to the reference position when the user is not operating the front handle 113F. The rotating shaft 121 a is connected to the reversing gear 123. The reversing gear 123 is connected to a rotating shaft 121b connected to the rear handle 113R. The reversing gear 123 transmits a force to the rotating shaft 121b so that the rotating direction is opposite to the rotating shaft 121a. As described above, in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the movement of the rear handle 113R is realized by a mechanical handle control mechanism.

  The handle control mechanism can be realized not only by such a mechanical mechanism but also by an electrical mechanism. FIG. 9 shows a control mechanism for moving the rear handle 113R according to another embodiment of the present invention. The control mechanism of the present embodiment has an operation direction detection sensor 124, a handle drive control unit 125, and an actuator 126 as main components.

  The operation direction detection sensor 124 is a sensor that can detect the operation direction of the front handle 113F, and is configured by an encoder or the like that detects the amount of rotation of the front handle 113F in this embodiment. The operation direction detected by the operation direction detection sensor 124 is input to the handle movement control unit 125 as the operation direction detection signal Sa. The handle movement control unit 125 controls the actuator 126 such that the rear handle 113R moves in the direction opposite to the operation direction of the front handle 113F with respect to the actuator 126. The actuator 126 moves the rear handle 113R by rotating the rotation shaft 121b.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the handle control process according to the embodiment of the present invention. This process is executed during the wearing process in which the user wears the walking assist device 1. During the assist process other than the mounting process, the handle control process may not be executed, and the front handle 113F and the rear handle 113R may be fixed by a braking mechanism or the like.

  When the operation direction of the front handle 113F detected by the operation direction detection sensor 124 is detected (S101), the handle movement control unit 125 determines the operation direction of the front handle 113F based on the operation direction detection signal Sa (S102). ). The operation direction detection signal Sa may include an operation amount for the front handle 113F. The handle movement control unit 125 controls the actuator 126 so that the rear handle 113R moves in the opposite direction based on the operation direction of the front handle 113F, and moves the rear handle 113R (S103). If the operation amount for the front handle 113F is included in the operation direction detection signal Sa, the driving amount of the actuator 126 can be controlled based on the operation amount. The rear handle 113R can be moved according to the amount of operation of the front handle 113F.

  It should be noted that the handle control mechanism using such an electric mechanism does not necessarily have to be moved as long as the operation direction with respect to the front handle 113F can be detected. As the detection of the operation direction of the front handle 113F, in addition to directly detecting the operation of the front handle 113F such as detecting the pressure applied to the front handle 113F, for example, the user can operate with either hand using a proximity sensor or the like. It is also possible to indirectly determine the operation direction with respect to the front handle 113F.

  As described above, according to the walking assist device 1 of the present embodiment, when the operation direction of the front handle 113F is detected and the rear handle 113R is moved in the direction opposite to the operation direction, It is possible to suppress the torsion of the user's upper body and reduce the load at the time of wearing.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and embodiments configured by appropriately combining the configurations of the respective embodiments also fall within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Walking assistance apparatus 11 ... Saddle link 111R, L ... Sliding rail 112 ... Saddle seat 113F ... Front handle 113R ... Rear handle 121a, 121b ... Rotating shaft 122 ... Spring mechanism 123 ... Reversing gear 124 ... Operation direction detection sensor 125 ... handle movement control unit 126 ... actuators 12R, L ... sliding parts 13R, L ... upper leg links 14R, L ... knee joints 15R, L ... lower leg links 16R, L ... ankle joints 17R, L ... foot links 19R, L ... Leg parts 51R, L ... 1st actuator 61R, L ... 1st angle detection sensor 62R, L ... Sliding position detection sensor 63R, L ... 3rd angle detection sensor 64R, L ... Foot sensor 65 ... Front camera 66 ... Back Camera 67 ... Navi module 68 ... Wireless communication module 81 ... Input unit 101 ... Control ECU

Claims (6)

In the walking assistance device that is attached to the user's leg and assists the user's walking by applying assist force,
Provided with left and right leg parts, saddle links connecting the left and right leg parts, and a control unit,
The saddle link is
A saddle seat for the user to sit on,
A front handle located in front of the saddle link;
A rear handle located behind the saddle link;
A handle control mechanism for moving the rear handle in a direction opposite to the operation direction of the front handle,
The said control part enables execution of the assist process which reduces a user's load by applying assist force to the said leg parts on either side, The walk assistance apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The front handle is movable;
The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein the handle control mechanism moves the rear handle based on the movement of the front handle. The walking assist device according to claim 1, wherein the handle control mechanism moves the rear handle by a movement amount larger than a movement amount of the front handle. The walking assist device according to claim 2, wherein the handle control mechanism includes a reverse gear that converts a movement amount of the front handle into a movement amount of the rear handle. The handle control mechanism is
An operation direction detection sensor for detecting an operation direction of the front handle;
An actuator for moving the rear handle;
The walking assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a handle movement control unit that drives the actuator based on an operation direction detected by the operation direction detection sensor. . The left and right leg parts are provided with an upper leg link, a lower leg link, a foot link, a sliding part, a knee joint, an ankle joint, and a first actuator.
The saddle link and the upper thigh link are slidably connected via the sliding portion,
The upper thigh link and the lower thigh link are rotatably connected via the knee joint,
The lower leg link and the foot link are rotatably connected via the ankle joint,
The first actuator rotates the upper leg link and the lower leg link by applying a driving force to the knee joint,
The walking assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the assist process reduces a load on a user by applying a driving force to at least the first actuator.

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