JP2015080621A - Rise assisting tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rise assisting tool that is suitable for a purpose of assisting muscle power in rising without assistance of others, has a simple structure and is suitable for reduction in size and weight.SOLUTION: A rise assisting tool comprises: a thigh part mounting member 3; a lower leg part mounting member 2; a pivotal pin 13 that pivotally supports base ends of both members in a rotatable manner; a torque adjusting gear 11 that is pivotally supported by the pivotal pin 13; a spiral spring 15 that has an inner end fixed to the pivotal pin 13 and has an outer end hooked on a plate surface of the torque adjusting gear 11; a torque adjusting gear driving mechanism that includes a torque adjusting knob 10 and drives rotation of the torque adjusting gear 11 by rotating it; a non-cylindrical stopper convex part that is provided at a tip of the pivotal pin 13; and a pivotal pin stopper concave part that can engage with the stopper convex part on the undersurface of the lower leg part mounting member 2. An axial movement of the pivotal pin 13 makes the stopper convex part detachable from the pivotal pin stopper concave part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a stand-up assisting device used to assist a user who has reduced muscle strength of a foot when standing up from a sitting position by himself without helping from the outside.

  As a device for assisting independence of a person with weakened muscle strength of a foot when standing and sitting, a standing assist device using a spring is known. As such rising aids, those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 are known.

  Patent Document 1 describes a lower limb orthosis that is suitable for a paraplegic person to wear and that allows the wearer to move from a sitting position to a standing position or from a standing position to a sitting position alone. This paraplegic standing and standing holding device includes a thigh support part that supports the left and right thighs, a thigh support member that is connected to the thigh support part, and a crus support that supports the left and right crus parts A leg support member that is connected to the crus support part, a foot support part that supports left and right feet, a knee joint that rotatably couples the thigh support member and the crus support member, An ankle joint that rotatably couples the crus support member and the foot support part, an actuator that flexes and extends the knee joint, and a joint interlocking mechanism that flexes the ankle joint in conjunction with the extension of the knee joint And have.

  Patent Document 2 describes a knee wearing device that can support a knee reliably and also has a function of assisting leg strength. The knee wearing device of Patent Document 2 is not intended to assist the transition of the wearer from the sitting position to the standing position, and is intended to assist the leg force when the wearer is running. It is what.

  FIG. 12 shows a knee wearing tool described in Patent Document 2. The knee wearing device includes a thigh support member 104, a crus support member 108, a torsion spring member 112 that connects both ends thereof, an upper strap body 144 that is attached to the thigh support member 104, and a crus A lower strap body 146 attached to the support member 108 and an intermediate strap body 148 attached between the middle portions of the pair of torsion springs 112 are provided. The thigh 102 is received from the back side into the thigh receiving part of the thigh support member 104, the crus 106 is received from the back side into the crus receiving part of the crus support member 108, and the upper strap body 144 is detachable from the front side of the thigh 102. The lower strap body 146 is detachably attached from the front side of the crus 106, and the intermediate strap body 148 is detachably attached from the back side of the knee 120.

  When the wearer wears the knee brace and the wearer bends the knee 120 and puts a part of the weight on the thigh support member 104, one end of the torsion spring 112 twists clockwise around the ring-shaped portion 116 in FIG. It becomes the state (power accumulation state). Elastic energy due to this torsion is stored in the torsion spring 112, and the stored elastic energy acts on the back side of the thigh 102 via the thigh receiving part 118 of the thigh support member 104 and the lower leg support part of the crus support member 108. It acts on the back side of the lower leg 106 through 126. Therefore, the elastic energy acts so as to push up the thigh 102 from the back side to assist leg strength during running or the like, and the leg force can be assisted by utilizing a part of the body weight.

  In Patent Document 3, the exercise of extending the bent lower limbs is assisted to reduce the burden when lifting the body, so that it is possible to alleviate the pain when raising and lowering on stairs and hills especially for people with injuries to the lower limbs. A walking aid is described. FIG. 13 shows a knee wearing tool described in Patent Document 3. This walking aid is connected between the upper band 202 wound around the lower limb thigh 102, the lower band 203 wound around the lower limb shin 106, and the upper band 202 and the lower band 203. And an elastic member (spring material) 204 that applies an urging force in the knee extension direction. When the wearer of the walking aid walks, the assisting force always works in the direction in which the knee 120 is stretched by the biasing force of the elastic member 204. It is described that the load applied to the knee 120 is reduced by the amount of the urging force of the elastic member 204, and in particular, it is possible to alleviate the pain at the time of climbing up and down stairs and hills of persons with disabilities in the knee or the like.

  In Patent Document 4, as in Patent Document 3, a corset wound around the lower limb thigh, a corset wound around the lower limb shin, and a stretchable and knee-extended joint connected between these corsets. Further, there is described a knee pain prevention belt that includes an elastic member (spring) that applies an urging force in the vertical direction and that is further connected between the corsets with a rubber tape.

JP 2010-63632 A JP 2008-272312 A JP 7-116207 A Utility Model Registration No. 3138802 Specification

  However, when each of the above-mentioned lower limb orthoses is used as a standing assist device, there are the following problems.

  The lower limb orthosis described in Patent Document 1 requires many processes such as driving an actuator by remote control when the wearer stands up from a sitting position, and the operation is complicated, and is particularly difficult for an elderly person to use. . In addition, electric parts and pneumatic parts such as actuators and gas springs are used, making it difficult to reduce the size and weight, requiring much labor for maintenance, and fragile. Further, the lower limb orthosis described in Patent Document 1 assumes a paraplegic person with extremely weak leg muscle strength. Therefore, for example, it is over-spec for a person with mild foot muscle weakness that is slightly reduced in strength due to old age.

  In the lower limb orthosis described in Patent Literature 2-4, when the knee is bent, the torsion spring 112 needs to be stored. As the torsion spring 112 bends the knee 120, the force in the direction in which the knee 120 is extended increases, so that it becomes difficult to bend the knee sufficiently when used by a person with weakened muscle strength of the foot. Can not. In the first place, the purpose is to assist muscle strength during running, and it is not suitable for the purpose of assisting muscle strength when a wearer stands up from a sitting position.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is suitable for use in assisting the leg muscle strength when the user stands up without assistance of another person for a user who has a slight decline in leg muscle strength such that the leg muscle strength is slightly reduced. The object is to provide a stand-up aid that is simple in structure, suitable for miniaturization and weight reduction, and easy to manufacture and maintain.

The first configuration of the rising aid according to the present invention is as follows.
A thigh wearing member attached to the side of the thigh on the knee of the user's foot;
A crus wearing member attached to the side of the crus below the knee of the user's foot;
A pivot pin for pivotally mounting the proximal end of the thigh wearing member and the proximal end of the crus wearing member;
A torque adjusting gear rotatably supported on the pivot pin;
The center of the spiral is disposed coaxially with the pivot pin, the inner end is fixed to the pivot pin, the outer end is hooked on the disk surface of the torque adjusting gear, and the thigh wearing member is attached to the crus wearing A spiral spring biasing in a direction parallel to the member;
It is provided fixed to either the thigh wearing member or the crus wearing member, and includes a torque adjusting knob, and is configured to rotate the torque adjusting gear by rotating the torque adjusting knob. A torque adjusting gear drive mechanism,
A non-cylindrical stopper protrusion provided at the tip of the pivot pin;
Of the thigh wearing member or the crus wearing member, the side of the side where the torque adjusting gear drive mechanism is not provided is formed around the shaft hole through which the pivot pin is inserted, and is fitted to the stopper convex portion A pivot pin stopper recess configured in a possible shape, and
The stopper projection is configured to be freely detachable from the pivot pin stopper recess when the pivot pin moves in the axial direction.

  According to this configuration, when the user stands up, the pivot pin is moved in the proximal direction so that the stopper convex portion is engaged with the pivot pin stopper concave portion. Then, if necessary, the torque adjusting knob of the torque adjusting gear drive mechanism is rotated to rotate the torque adjusting gear, and the spiral spring is rolled to obtain an accumulated state. When the user rises from the sitting position to the standing position, the thigh wearing member is urged in a direction parallel to the crus wearing member by the urging of the spiral spring, and the muscular strength necessary for the standing up exercise is assisted. The As a result, even a user with reduced leg strength can stand up without assistance from others.

  On the other hand, when the user is in a sitting position or when the user stands up and removes the assisting tool from the foot, if the spiral spring is stored, the thigh wearing member Since it is urged in the direction parallel to the member, the urging force becomes an obstacle. Therefore, in that case, the pivot pin is moved in the distal direction, and the stopper convex portion is detached from the pivot pin stopper concave portion. As a result, the pivot pin is rotatable with respect to the thigh wearing member and the crus wearing member, so that the restraint of the inner end of the spiral spring is released, and the force accumulated in the spiral spring is released and the thigh is released. The part wearing member can freely rotate with respect to the crus wearing member. Thereby, when the user continues to be in the sitting position, the burden due to the biasing of the spring is not felt. In addition, it is easy for the user to get up and detach the assisting tool from the foot.

  The torque adjustment gear drive mechanism is “fixed to either the thigh wearing member or the crus wearing member”, and the torque adjusting gear drive mechanism is the thigh wearing member or the crus. It rotates with the rotation of either one of the partial mounting members (hereinafter referred to as “mounting member A”). Since the torque adjustment gear is rotationally driven by the torque adjustment gear drive mechanism, torque adjustment is performed as the torque adjustment gear drive mechanism rotates (unless the torque adjustment knob of the torque adjustment gear drive mechanism is turned by the user). The gear also rotates. Accordingly, the torque adjusting gear rotates with the rotation of the wearing member A, and conversely, the wearing member A rotates with the rotation of the torque adjusting gear. Therefore, by engaging the outer end of the spiral spring with the disk surface of the torque adjustment gear, the spiral spring urges the torque adjustment gear to rotate and thereby urges the wearing member A to rotate. Therefore, the spiral spring means that “the thigh wearing member is urged in the direction in which the thigh wearing member is parallel to the crus wearing member” means that the spiral spring is parallel to the thigh wearing member. This means that the torque adjustment gear is urged to rotate in the direction of rotation.

The second configuration of the rising aid according to the present invention is the first configuration,
An elastic member for urging the pivot pin in the axial direction of the proximal end;
A shaft hole is formed through the center, and the pivot pin is inserted into the shaft hole. The shaft pin is rotatably mounted on the side where the proximal end of the pivot pin is located with respect to the thigh wearing member and the crus wearing member. A locked handle,
A first engagement structure provided on a side surface of the proximal end side of the pivot pin;
A second engagement structure formed on an inner surface in the shaft hole of the lock handle and formed in a shape engageable with the first engagement structure of the pivot pin,
The first engagement structure engages with the second engagement structure when the position of the pivot pin is at a position where the stopper projection is detached from the pivot pin stopper recess,
The first engaging structure is disengaged from the second engaging structure when the position of the pivot pin is at a position where the stopper convex portion is fitted into the pivot pin stopper concave portion. .

  According to this configuration, in a state (free state) where the stopper convex portion is detached from the pivot pin stopper concave portion, the first and second engagement structures are engaged to rotate the lock handle. The pivot pin can be rotated. Therefore, if the stopper convex part is rotated by the lock handle in a direction in which the stopper convex part can be fitted to the pivot pin stopper concave part, the stopper convex part is drawn into the pivot pin stopper concave part by the urging force of the elastic member, and is locked. It can be. On the other hand, in the locked state, the engagement between the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure is released, and the lock handle is in a freely rotatable state. Thereby, even if an impact or a load is applied to the lock handle on the outermost side of the apparatus from the outside, the operation of the user standing up is not affected. In addition, the shock to the user can be reduced by making the material of the lock handle highly cushioning.

A third configuration of the rising aid according to the present invention is the second configuration,
Comprising a lock release button provided at the proximal end of the pivot pin;
When the position of the pivot pin is in a position where the stopper convex portion is fitted to the pivot pin stopper concave portion, the upper surface of the lock release button is lower than the opening end of the shaft hole of the lock handle. It is comprised so that it may become.

  According to this configuration, the upper surface of the unlock button is lower than the open end of the shaft hole of the lock handle in a state where the stopper convex portion is in a position where it is fitted into the pivot pin stopper concave portion (locked state). Even if a hand or object collides from the upper surface side of the lock handle due to an unexpected accident, the lock release button is pressed against the user's intention and the pivot pin is against the lower leg wearing member / thigh wearing member It is possible to effectively prevent an unexpected accident such as a free rotation state.

A fourth configuration of the rising aid according to the present invention is any one of the first to third configurations.
The spiral spring is
A leaf spring wound in a spiral,
One or a plurality of protrusions formed on the side surface of the leaf spring so as to project at a predetermined position facing the side surface of another portion of the wound leaf spring. .

  According to this configuration, when the spiral spring is wound in the winding direction from the open state, when the spiral spring is rotated by a predetermined rotation angle, the protrusion on the side surface of the leaf spring contacts the side surface of the leaf spring facing it. This changes the way in which the stress of the leaf spring of the spiral spring acts. Therefore, it is possible to freely adjust the change profile of the urging force of the spiral spring with respect to the rotation angle by appropriately adjusting the number and position of the protrusions. Therefore, for example, the position and number of protrusions so that the biasing force change profile is such that the biasing force of the spiral spring is small in the region where the rotation angle is small and large and the biasing force of the spiral spring is large in the middle region. If the user is in the sitting position, the torque of the spiral spring will be reduced, and the knee can be stably maintained in the bent state, and the state where the user is standing up from the sitting position to the standing body Then, since the torque of the spiral spring acts greatly, it is possible to effectively assist the muscular strength at the time of rising.

  As described above, according to the stand-up assisting device of the present invention, the thigh wearing member is urged in a direction parallel to the crus wearing member by the urging of the spiral spring during the user's standing-up operation. Thus, the muscular strength necessary for the standing-up exercise is assisted, and even a user who is in a reduced muscular strength can stand up without assistance from others. On the other hand, when the user is in a sitting position or when the user stands up and removes the assisting tool from the foot, the stopper convex part is detached from the pivot pin stopper concave part and is stored in the spiral spring. By releasing the force, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling a burden due to the bias of the spring when the user is in a sitting position. In addition, it is easy for the user to get up and detach the assisting tool from the foot.

  Further, by providing the above-described lock handle, switching from the free state to the locked state is facilitated by operating the lock handle.

  In addition, the lock release button described above is provided, and in the locked state, the lock release button is contrary to the user's intention by allowing the upper surface of the lock release button to be lower than the opening end of the shaft hole of the lock handle. It is possible to effectively prevent an accident that the pivot pin is pressed and the pivot pin is free to rotate with respect to the crus wearing member and the thigh wearing member, and the safety of the product can be improved.

  Further, by providing the above-described protrusion on the side surface of the leaf spring of the spiral spring, it is possible to freely adjust the change profile of the biasing force of the spiral spring with respect to the rotation angle. Thereby, for example, the position of the protrusion and the urging force change profile so that the urging force of the spiral spring is small in the region where the rotation angle is small and the region is large and the urging force of the spiral spring is large in the intermediate region. If the number is adjusted, the torque of the spiral spring is reduced when the user is in the sitting position, and the knee can be stably maintained in the bent state, and the user is in the middle of standing up from the sitting position to the standing body. In the state, since the torque of the spiral spring acts greatly, it is possible to effectively assist the muscle force at the time of rising. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the usability of the rising assist tool.

  Further, in the present invention, parts having complicated structures such as actuators and gas springs are not used, so the structure is simple, suitable for downsizing and weight reduction, and easy to manufacture and maintain. In addition, since the method of use is simple, it is possible to provide a stand-up aid that is particularly convenient for elderly people.

It is a whole perspective view of the stand-up assistance tool which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. (A) The perspective view which looked at the standing assistance tool of FIG. 1 from the side surface, (b) The perspective view which looked at the standing assistance tool of FIG. 1 from the upper surface. It is a perspective view of the state which removed the casing 7 of the mechanism part of the standing assistance tool of FIG. It is a perspective view of the state which removed the casing 7, the lock handle 8, and the gear lid 11a of the mechanism part of the stand-up assistance tool of FIG. It is an exploded view of the mechanism part of the stand-up assistance tool of FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a thigh wearing member 2, a crus wearing member 3, a lock release button 9, and a pivot pin 13. FIG. It is a figure showing the state which mounted | wore the left leg with the standing assistance tool 1 which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the locked state (a) and free state (b) of the lower leg part wearing member 2 and the thigh part wearing member 3. It is a figure explaining the leg force assistance effect | action at the time of standing-up in the standing assistance tool 1 of Example 1 of this invention. (A) is in a standing position, (b) is in a state of rising from a sitting position, and (c) is in a sitting position. It is a top view of the spiral spring 15 which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the stand-up assistance tool 1 of Example 2. FIG. This is a knee wearing device described in Patent Document 2. This is a knee wearing device described in Patent Document 3.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a stand-up aid according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 2A is a perspective view of the stand-up aid shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the side, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the stand-up aid shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the casing 7 of the mechanism portion of the rising assist tool in FIG. 1 is removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the casing 7, the lock handle 8, and the gear lid 11a of the mechanism portion of the rising assist tool in FIG. 1 are removed. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a mechanism portion of the rising assist tool of FIG. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the lower leg wearing member 2, the thigh wearing member 3, the lock release button 9, and the pivot pin 13. In FIG. 6, the external gear (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 6) of the lower portion 9b of the lock release button 9 is not shown.

  The rising assisting tool 1 is configured such that one end of a long bar plate-like lower leg wearing member 2 and one end of a long bar plate-like thigh wearing member 3 are pivotally attached by a pivot pin 13. Yes. The lower leg part wearing member 2 is a support member that is attached to the lower leg part of the wearer of the standing assist tool 1 by the lower leg fixing band 4. If the end of the crus wearing member 2 is the base end and the opposite end is the tip, the crus wearing member 2 is formed in a bar plate shape with a semicircular tip. A pivot hole 2a for inserting the pivot pin 13 is formed through the base end side (see FIGS. 2, 5, and 6). In addition, a lower leg fixing band 4 is attached to the lower surface near the center of the lower leg wearing member 2 (the surface facing the lower leg of the wearer when worn) (see FIG. 1). . In the present embodiment, a cylindrical member made of a stretchable material is used as the crus fixing band 4.

  The thigh wearing member 3 is a support member that is attached to the thigh of the wearer of the standing assist tool 1 by the thigh fixing band 5. When the end of the thigh wearing member 3 on which the shaft is attached is the base end, and the opposite end is the tip, the thigh wearing member 3 is formed in a bar plate shape having a semicircular tip. A pivot hole 3a for inserting the pivot pin 13 is formed through the base end side (see FIGS. 2, 5, and 6). Further, a thigh fixing band 5 is attached to a lower surface (a surface on the side facing the wearer's thigh when worn) near the center of the thigh wearing member 3 (see FIG. 1). .

  The material for the crus fixing band 4 and the thigh fixing band 5 can be appropriately selected. For example, a mesh fabric, a stretchable fabric with rubber, or the like can be used. Further, instead of the crus fixing band 4 and the thigh fixing band 5, a belt-like thigh (crus) fixing belt or a split-cylinder-shaped thigh that can be opened and closed (crus) ) A fixed cylinder member can also be used.

  At the connecting portion between the proximal end of the lower leg wearing member 2 and the proximal end of the thigh wearing member 3, a rotational biasing force is loaded or released between both members, or rotation between both members is fixed or A joint assisting mechanism 6 for releasing is provided. The joint assist mechanism 6 includes a casing 7, a lock handle 8, a lock release button 9, a torque adjustment knob 10, a bearing member 17, a torque adjustment gear 11, a gear lid 11a, a reduction gear 12, a reduction gear shaft 12a, a pivot pin 13, A coil spring 14, a spiral spring 15, and a spiral spring outer member 16 are provided.

  The casing 7 (see FIG. 1) is a box-shaped member that claws the spring mechanism, the gear mechanism, and the like of the joint assist mechanism 6, and is provided for ensuring safety during use. The casing 7 is made of a rigid thin plate of plastic or light metal, and is formed in an equal-thick box shape whose planar shape is a bowl shape.

  The pivot pin 13 is formed with a short columnar pin head 13d whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the pivot support hole 2a at the lower end (the end on the side facing the wearer's knee when worn). In the center of the top surface of the pin head 13d, a stopper projection 13c in the form of a weight column (a column body obtained by vertically extending a plane figure (weight) like a map symbol representing a bank) is formed in a stepped shape ( FIG. 2 (a), FIG. 5, FIG. 6). Further, a columnar central enlarged portion 13b having a height matching the thickness of the crus wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3 is formed in a stepped shape at the center of the upper surface of the stopper convex portion 13c. A cylindrical pin shaft 13e is formed in a stepped manner at the center of the upper surface of 13b. The central enlarged portion 13b, the stopper convex portion 13c, the pin head portion 13d, and the pin shaft 13e are all coaxial in the central axis. In addition, a vertically long spiral spring center support port 13a is formed through the lower portion of the side surface of the pin shaft 13e.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, the pivot support hole 2 a formed in the crus wearing member 2 is formed in a stepped shape. The lower half of the pivot hole 2a is formed with a weight pin-shaped pivot pin stopper recess 2b that can be fitted to the stopper projection 13c, and the central enlarged portion 13b of the pivot pin 13 can be inserted into the upper half. A shaft hole portion 2c having a diameter is formed. In a state where the stopper projection 13c of the pivot pin 13 is fitted in the pivot pin stopper recess 2b, the pivot pin 13 is fixed to the crus wearing member 2, and the pivot pin 13 is integrated with the crus wearing member 2. Rotate. On the other hand, in a state where the stopper projection 13c of the pivot pin 13 is detached below the pivot pin stopper recess 2b, the pivot pin 13 can freely rotate regardless of the crus wearing member 2.

  In addition, although the shape of the stopper convex part 13c and the pivot pin stopper recessed part 2b is a weight column shape in a present Example, this shape should just be shapes (non-columnar shape) other than circular. Further, when the stopper convex portion 13c is easily fitted into the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b and the stopper convex portion 13c is in a free state where it is detached from the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b, the stopper convex portion 13c is pivoted to the pivot pin stopper. From the standpoint of achieving both the intentional depression of the recess 2b and the prevention of the locked state, the shape is preferably a shape that is symmetrical 2 to 4 times with the central axis as the symmetry axis. For example, it may be formed in a parallel cylindrical shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape (a rectangular shape is a shape in which a semicircle is joined to two opposite sides of a rectangle (a shape like a land track)), a saddle-shaped column shape, or the like. .

  From the bottom, a crus wearing member 2, a thigh wearing member 3, a torque adjusting gear 11 and a lock handle 8 are rotatably attached to the pivot pin 13, and a coil spring 14 is attached to the tip of the pin shaft 13e. An (elastic member) is inserted, and a lock release button 9 is fitted on the distal end surface (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The coil spring 14 has a lower end in contact with the upper surface of the gear lid 11a of the torque adjusting gear 11, and an upper end in contact with the lower surface of the lock release button 9, and urges the lock release button 9 and the pivot pin 13 upward. Therefore, in the free state where the unlock button 9 is not pressed, the stopper convex portion 13c below the pivot pin 13 is always pressed against the lower surface of the lower leg wearing member 2 or the step surface of the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b. is there.

  The lock release button 9 is a button for pressing when the pivot pin 13 is pressed downward. The lock release button 9 is fixed to the tip of the pin shaft 13e of the pivot pin 13 by a tenon material 13f and a tenon hole 9a. The lower portion 9b of the unlocking button 9 is a short star-shaped column with an external gear (first engagement structure) formed therein, and the upper end portion 9c is formed in a short columnar shape with a stepped diameter. The periphery is rounded.

  In the lock handle 8, the pivot pin 13 is fitted to the pivot pin stopper recess 2b so that the pivot pin 13 can be rotated with respect to the crus wearing member 2, and the pivot pin 13 is fitted to the crus wearing member. 2 is a handle for returning to the state fixed to 2. A shaft hole 8a is formed through the center of the lock handle 8 so as to be coaxial with the central axis. As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft hole 8a is a two-stage cylindrical hole in which the upper half has a stepped diameter expansion (FIGS. 2A and 4). The upper half 8b of the shaft hole 8a has a cylindrical shape, but an internal gear (second engagement structure) is formed on the inner wall of the lower half 8c (FIG. 4). The small-diameter external gear portion of the lower portion 9 b of the unlock button 9 is fitted with the small-diameter internal gear portion of the lower half 8 c of the shaft hole 8 a so that the lock handle 8 is fixed to the unlock button 9 and the pivot pin 13. At the same time, the up-and-down movable range of the unlock button 9 is restricted by the side surface step portion of the unlock button 9 coming into contact with the inner surface step portion of the shaft hole 8a.

  In addition, when the coil spring 14 is extended to the maximum, the upper surface of the lock release button 9 is configured to be lower than the upper opening end of the shaft hole 8a (see FIG. 8A). Thus, even when a hand or an object collides from the upper surface side of the lock handle 8 due to an unexpected accident, the lock release button 9 is unintentionally pressed and the pivot pin 13 can rotate with respect to the crus wearing member 2. Accidents that are free can be effectively prevented.

  The torque adjusting gear 11 is an external gear, and a cavity (spring storage chamber 11b) that opens upward is formed therein, and the upper opening of the cavity is closed by a gear lid 11a. On the bottom surface of the spring accommodating chamber 11b of the torque adjusting gear 11, a cylindrical spiral spring outer member 16 protrudes at a position in the vicinity of the outer periphery, at a position facing the tip of the spiral spring outer member 16 of the gear lid 11a. Is formed with a fitting hole 11c that fits closely with the spiral spring outer member 16. With the gear lid 11a fitted to the upper surface of the spring storage chamber 11b, the tip of the spiral spring hook member 16 is fitted into the fitting hole 11c.

  The spiral spring 15 is stored in the spring storage chamber 11 b of the torque adjustment gear 11. The spiral spring 15 is composed of a spirally wound leaf spring, and a straight plate-like inner end hooking portion 15a bent in the center direction is formed at the inner end, and the outer end is substantially perpendicular to the outer side. A bent plate-like outer end hooking portion 15b is formed. The inner end hooking portion 15a is fitted into a spiral spring center support port 13a penetrating the side surface of the pin shaft 13e of the pivot pin 13, and the inner end of the torque adjustment gear 11 is driven by the rotation of the pivot pin 13. Rotate. On the other hand, the outer end hooking portion 15 b is hooked on a spiral spring outer hooking member 16 protruding from the spring accommodating chamber 11 b of the torque adjusting gear 11. Accordingly, the outer end of the torque adjustment gear 11 rotates following the rotation of the torque adjustment gear 11.

  The reduction gear 12 is an external gear that meshes with the torque adjustment gear 11. The reduction gear 12 is rotatably attached to a columnar reduction gear shaft 12 a that protrudes at a predetermined position on the central axis of the upper surface of the thigh wearing member 3. The diameter of the reduction gear 12 is smaller than the diameter of the adjustment gear 11 and the number of teeth is small.

  The torque adjustment knob 10 is a screw gear (worm gear) that meshes with the reduction gear 12. The torque adjusting knob 10 includes a screw portion 10a having a screw gear formed on the outer surface thereof, and a short columnar screw head 10b having an enlarged diameter coaxially with the screw portion 10a at one end of the screw portion 10a. Yes. Further, a flame-shaped bearing member 17 having a circular hole in the center of a rectangular plate is formed on the upper surface of the thigh wearing member 3, and the plate surface is perpendicular to the upper surface of the thigh wearing member 3 and the plate surface is The thigh mounting member 3 is projected so as to be parallel to the central axis of the thigh mounting member 3, and the screw portion 10 a of the torque adjustment knob 10 is rotatably inserted into the center hole of the bearing member 17. In this embodiment, the torque adjustment knob 10, the bearing member 17, and the reduction gear 12 constitute a torque adjustment gear drive mechanism that rotationally drives the torque adjustment gear 11. When the user picks and turns the screw head 10 b of the torque adjustment knob 10, the reduction gear 12 rotates following the rotation, and the torque adjustment gear 11 rotates following the reduction gear 12. When the torque adjustment gear 11 rotates, the outer end hooking portion 15b of the spiral spring 15 hung on the spiral spring outer member 16 moves in the circumferential direction, and thereby the torque applied to the spiral spring 15 changes. Thereby, the magnitude of the torque applied between the crus wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3 can be adjusted.

  In this embodiment, the screw gear of the screw portion 10a of the torque adjusting knob 10 is configured to mesh with the external gear of the torque adjusting gear 11 via the reduction gear 12, thereby rotating the reduction gear 12. Therefore, the rotational force applied to the torque adjusting knob 10 may be small. However, the gear ratio between the external gear of the torque adjustment gear 11 and the screw gear of the screw portion 10a can be sufficiently increased, and the reduction gear 12 of the torque adjustment gear drive mechanism can be omitted. Moreover, the gear mechanism of the torque adjustment knob 10, the reduction gear 12, and the torque adjustment gear 11 can also be configured using a bevel gear mechanism or other gear mechanisms.

  The usage method and operation | movement are demonstrated about the stand-up assistance tool 1 of a present Example comprised as mentioned above.

(1) Wearing FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state where the standing assistance tool 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is worn on the left foot. In addition, when using the stand-up assisting tool 1, the user wears the stand-up assisting tool 1 on the outside of both left and right feet. At the time of wearing, the user depresses the lock release button 9 to make the crus wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3 free to rotate. The unlocking operation will be described in the next section. In the free state, the user may wear the thigh fixing band 5 and the crus fixing band 4 through the foot in the manner of wearing pants. Then, the pivot pin 13 of the joint assist mechanism 6 is fixed at a position where it comes to the side of the knee.

(2) Locking and releasing the crus wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3 FIG. 8 shows the locked state (a) and free state (b) of the crus wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3. FIG.

  When the lock release button 9 is not pressed, the lock release button 9 and the pivot pin 13 are pushed upward by the bias of the coil spring 14 as shown in FIG. As a result, the state where the stopper convex portion 13c at the lower portion of the pivot pin 13 is fitted to the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b on the lower surface of the crus wearing member 2 is maintained. Since the stopper convex portion 13c and the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b are formed in a weight shape as shown in FIG. 6, the pivot pin 13 is locked so as not to rotate with respect to the crus wearing member 2. This is the locked state. In this locked state, the external gear of the lower portion 9b of the lock release button 9 is pushed up above the internal gear of the lower half 8c of the shaft hole 8a of the lock handle 8, and the two mesh with each other. Not done. Therefore, the lock handle 8 is not fixed to the pivot pin 13 but is rotatable. Further, in the locked state, since the crus wearing member 2 is fixed to the pivot pin 13, the crus wearing member 2 is rotated by a spiral spring 15 whose outer end is fixed to the thigh wearing member 3. Be energized by.

  Next, when the user presses the lock release button 9, the pivot pin 13 is pushed down against the bias of the coil spring 14, and the stopper projection 13c is pulled out below the pivot pin stopper recess 2b. . When the thigh wearing member 3 is rotated with respect to the crus wearing member 2 in this state, the angle between the stopper convex portion 13c and the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b is shifted, so that the user releases the lock release button 9. In addition, the state in which the stopper convex portion 13c is detached from the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b is maintained. Therefore, the crus wearing member 2 is rotatable with respect to the pivot pin 13, and the urging by the spiral spring 15 does not act on the crus wearing member 2. This is a free state. In this free state, the external gear of the lower portion 9 b of the lock release button 9 is in mesh with the internal gear of the lower half 8 c of the shaft hole 8 a of the lock handle 8. Therefore, the lock handle 8 is fixed to the pivot pin 13, and the pivot pin 13 can be rotated by rotating the lock handle 8.

(3) Leg force assist at the time of standing up FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the leg force assisting action at the time of standing up in the standing up assisting tool 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 9A corresponds to the standing state, FIG. 9B corresponds to the state of rising from the sitting position, and FIG. 9C corresponds to the sitting state.

  In the sitting position, the lock release button 9 is not pressed, and the pivot pin 13 is in the locked state (FIG. 9C). In this state, the user picks and rotates the torque adjusting knob 10 with his / her finger, and rotates the outer end of the spiral spring 15 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. The thigh wearing member 3 is in a stored state in which the spiral spring 15 is urged by the spiral spring 15 in the rotational direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. Since the screw gear of the screw portion 10a of the torque adjusting knob 10 is meshed with the torque adjusting gear 11 via the reduction gear 12, the spiral spring 15 is strengthened by rotating the torque adjusting knob 10 with a small rotational force. Can be rolled up. When the urging force of the spiral spring 15 is already sufficiently strong (for example, when the locked state is shifted from the standing position to the sitting position and the locked state is not released as it is), the spiral spring 15 is controlled by the torque adjustment knob 10. There is no need to wind.

  Next, the user stands up from the sitting position to the standing position (FIGS. 9B and 9A). At this time, since the thigh wearing member 3 is urged by the spiral spring 15 with respect to the crus wearing member 2 in the rotation direction of the arrow A in FIGS. Less muscular strength is required to stand up. Thereby, even a user whose leg muscle strength has decreased can stand up on his own.

(4) Operation at the time of sitting When a user shifts from a standing position to a sitting position, the user sits with the lower leg wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3 bent only by his / her own weight without releasing the locked state. be able to. In this case, after the transition to the sitting position, since the energized state in which the spiral spring 15 is wound is obtained, the energizing force of the spiral spring 15 is applied between the lower leg wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3; Therefore, the user may release the urging force of the spiral spring 15 by pressing the lock release button 9 to bring the pivot pin 13 into a free state.

  Further, after the lock release button 9 is pressed and the pivot pin 13 is set in a free state in advance, the standing state can be shifted to the sitting state.

  When returning from the free state to the locked state, the lock handle 8 is used. In the free state, the internal gear on the inner wall of the lower half 8c of the shaft hole 8a of the lock handle 8 and the external gear on the outer wall of the lower portion 9b of the lock release button 9 are meshed. Therefore, the pivot pin 13 can be rotated by rotating the lock handle 8, whereby the direction of the stopper convex portion 13 c at the lower portion of the pivot pin 13 and the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2 b at the lower surface of the crus wearing member 2. It can be fitted and matched to return to the locked state.

  In the above-described embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the stopper convex portion 13c at the lower portion of the pivot pin 13 and the pivot pin stopper concave portion 2b at the lower surface of the crus wearing member 2 are fitted and detached to switch between the locked state and the free state. However, the upper and lower sides of the crus wearing member 2 and the thigh wearing member 3 are exchanged, and a pivot pin stopper recess is provided on the lower surface of the thigh wearing member 3 so as to be fitted and removed from the stopper projection 13c. You can also. In this case, the torque adjustment knob 10 and the reduction gear 12 are provided on the lower leg wearing member 2 side.

  In the present embodiment, another example of the spiral spring 15 used in the rising assist tool 1 described in the first embodiment will be described. The configuration other than the spiral spring 15 is the same as that of the rising aid 1 of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view of the spiral spring 15 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The spiral spring 15 has an inner end hook portion 15a at the inner end portion and an outer end hook portion 15b at the outer end portion, which is the same as in the first embodiment. The spiral spring 15 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of protrusions 15c, 15d, and 15e formed at predetermined positions on the inner peripheral surface of the wound leaf spring, and a portion near the inner end of the leaf spring (meat The thick part 15f) is characterized in that it is thicker than other parts. The protrusion 15c is formed so as to protrude inward near the outer end of the outermost turn (circumference) of the leaf spring. The protruding portion 15d is formed so as to protrude inward from the position facing the spiral spring 15 center of the outermost turn of the leaf spring. The protrusion 15e is formed so as to protrude from the middle of the second turn from the outer peripheral side of the leaf spring to the inside (near the protrusion 15c). The thick portion 15f is formed over the innermost turn of the leaf spring.

  Next, the characteristic operation of the rising assisting tool 1 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the stand-up assisting tool 1 according to the second embodiment.

  FIG. 11A shows a state where the central axis direction of the thigh wearing member 3 is the same as the central axis direction of the crus wearing member 2. At this time, the spiral spring 15 is in a fully extended state, and the torque acting on the spiral spring 15 is zero. When the thigh wearing member 3 is rotated with respect to the crus wearing member 2 from this state, the torque of the spiral spring 15 increases in proportion to the turning angle of the thigh wearing member 3 and is substantially constant. And the bending of the leaf spring on the outer circumferential side of the spiral spring 15 becomes larger than that on the inner circumferential side, and the helical pitch of the leaf spring on the outer circumferential side becomes narrower.

  FIG. 11B shows a state in which the central axis direction of the thigh wearing member 3 is rotated about 15 degrees with respect to the central axis direction of the crus wearing member 2. At this time, the protrusions 15 c and 15 d abut against the outer surface of the leaf spring of the spiral spring 15 facing each other. As a result, the distance between the leaf spring in the section between the protrusions 15c and 15d and the leaf spring facing the inner peripheral side is fixed, so that the torque acting on this section is substantially fixed. When the crus wearing member 2 is further rotated from the state of FIG. 11B, the torque increases due to the bending of the leaf spring on the inner peripheral side of the protrusion 15d. Therefore, in the section where the rotation angle is 15 to 60 degrees, the torque is larger than in the section where the rotation angle is 0 to 15 degrees.

  FIG. 11C shows a state in which the central axis direction of the thigh wearing member 3 is rotated about 60 degrees with respect to the central axis direction of the crus wearing member 2. At this time, the projecting portions 15 c, 15 d, and 15 d are in contact with the plate spring outer surfaces of the spiral springs 15 that face each other. When the rotation angle exceeds 60 degrees, this time, the two points of the projecting part 15c and the projecting part 15d are fixed in contact with the outer surface of the leaf spring of the opposing spiral spring 15, and the projecting parts 15c and 15d The leaf springs in the section between them are bent, and the protrusion 15 d is separated from the outer surface of the leaf spring of the opposing spiral spring 15. Therefore, in the section where the rotation angle is 60 degrees or more, the torque is increased mainly due to the bending of the leaf spring in the section between the protrusion 15c and the protrusion 15d, so that compared with the section where the rotation angle is 15 to 60 degrees. Torque decreases.

  Thus, in the rising assisting tool 1 of the present embodiment, the plurality of protrusions 15c, 15d, and 15e are formed at predetermined positions on the inner peripheral surface of the wound leaf spring of the spiral spring 15. The torque of the spiral spring 15 can be increased only when the rotation angle of the thigh wearing member 3 is within a predetermined section (15 to 60 degrees). Thereby, when the user is in the sitting position, the torque of the spiral spring 15 is reduced, and the knee can be stably maintained in the bent state. Further, in the middle of standing up from the sitting position to the standing body, the torque of the spiral spring 15 acts greatly, so that the muscle strength at the time of rising can be effectively assisted.

  In this embodiment, the projections 15c, 15d and 15e are formed on the inner peripheral side surface of the leaf spring of the spiral spring 15. However, instead of the projections 15c, 15d and 15e, the projections 15c and 15d are provided. , 15e may be provided with a similar protrusion on the outer peripheral side surface of the leaf spring. Further, the positions and widths at which the protrusions are provided are not limited to the positions illustrated in FIG. 10 and can be determined by appropriately adjusting so as to obtain a desired torque change profile.

(Test results)
A prototype of the spiral spring 15 shown in FIG. 10 is actually applied to the rising assisting tool 1, and the relationship between the rotation angle of the thigh wearing member 3 with respect to the lower leg wearing member 2 and the torque of the spiral spring 15. The measurement results are shown in the following table.

  Measurement is performed by fixing the lower leg wearing member 2, connecting only a 10 kg spring to the tip of the thigh wearing member 3, and pulling only the spring so as to be perpendicular to the thigh wearing member 3. I went there. From the experimental results, it has been proved by experiments that the torque becomes maximum near 45 to 75 degrees, and that the torque decreases as the rotation angle increases, and that the desired torque profile characteristics can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Standing assistance tool 2 Lower leg wearing member 2a Pivoting hole 2b Pivoting pin stopper recessed part 2c Shaft hole part 3 Thigh wearing member 3a Pivoting hole 4 Lower leg fixing band 5 Thigh fixing band 6 Joint auxiliary mechanism 7 Casing 8 Lock handle 8a Shaft hole 8b Upper half part 8c Lower half part 9 Lock release button 9a Mortise hole 9b Lower part 9c Upper end part 10 Torque adjustment knob 10a Screw part 10b Screw head 11 Torque adjustment gear 11a Gear cover 11b Spring storage Chamber 11c Fitting hole 12 Reduction gear 12a Reduction gear shaft 13 Pivot pin 13a Spiral spring center support port 13b Central enlarged portion 13c Stopper projection 13d Pin head 13e Pin shaft 13f Tenon material 14 Coil spring 15 Spiral spring 15a Inner end hook 15b Outer end hooks 15c, 15d, 15e Protruding part 15f Thick part 16 Spiral spring hook member 17 Bearing member

Claims (4)

When the user stands up from the sitting position by himself / herself, the assisting tool is used to assist the muscular strength necessary for the standing up movement,
A thigh wearing member attached to the side of the thigh on the knee of the user's foot;
A crus wearing member attached to the side of the crus below the knee of the user's foot;
A pivot pin for pivotally mounting the proximal end of the thigh wearing member and the proximal end of the crus wearing member;
A torque adjusting gear rotatably supported on the pivot pin;
The center of the spiral is disposed coaxially with the pivot pin, the inner end is fixed to the pivot pin, the outer end is hooked on the disk surface of the torque adjusting gear, and the thigh wearing member is attached to the crus wearing A spiral spring biasing in a direction parallel to the member;
It is provided fixed to either the thigh wearing member or the crus wearing member, and includes a torque adjusting knob, and is configured to rotate the torque adjusting gear by rotating the torque adjusting knob. A torque adjusting gear drive mechanism,
A non-cylindrical stopper protrusion provided at the tip of the pivot pin;
Of the thigh wearing member or the crus wearing member, the side of the side where the torque adjusting gear drive mechanism is not provided is formed around the shaft hole through which the pivot pin is inserted, and is fitted to the stopper convex portion A pivot pin stopper recess configured in a possible shape, and
A stand-up assisting device configured such that the stopper projection is freely detachable from the pivot pin stopper recess when the pivot pin moves in the axial direction. An elastic member for urging the pivot pin in the axial direction of the proximal end;
A shaft hole is formed through the center, and the pivot pin is inserted into the shaft hole. The shaft pin is rotatably mounted on the side where the proximal end of the pivot pin is located with respect to the thigh wearing member and the crus wearing member. A locked handle,
A first engagement structure provided on a side surface of the proximal end side of the pivot pin;
A second engagement structure formed on an inner surface in the shaft hole of the lock handle and formed in a shape engageable with the first engagement structure of the pivot pin,
The first engagement structure engages with the second engagement structure when the position of the pivot pin is at a position where the stopper projection is detached from the pivot pin stopper recess,
The first engaging structure is disengaged from the second engaging structure when the position of the pivot pin is at a position where the stopper convex portion is fitted into the pivot pin stopper concave portion. The rising aid according to claim 1. Comprising a lock release button provided at the proximal end of the pivot pin;
When the position of the pivot pin is in a position where the stopper convex portion is fitted to the pivot pin stopper concave portion, the upper surface of the lock release button is lower than the opening end of the shaft hole of the lock handle. It is comprised so that it may become. The stand-up assistance tool of Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The spiral spring is
A leaf spring wound in a spiral,
One or a plurality of protrusions formed on the side surface of the leaf spring so as to project at a predetermined position facing the side surface of another portion of the wound leaf spring. The stand-up aid according to any one of claims 1 to 3.