JP2020168536A - Assistance robot - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an assistance robot capable of preventing an assistance receiver from feeling discomfort in standing-up assisting operation.SOLUTION: An assistance robot comprises: a base; a lifting/lowering section directly acting in the vertical direction with respect to the base; an arm provided at the lifting/lowering section so as to swing with a prescribed swing axis parallel to the horizontal direction used as a central axis and lifting by the lift of the lifting/lowering section; a holding section provided at a tip end of the arm, including a trunk receiving part for supporting the trunk of the assistance receiver, and swinging so as to lift and advance by the rotation of the arm; and a control unit controlling the vertical movement of the lifting/lowering section and swing of the arm to rotate the holding part forward so as to forward tilt the upper body of the assistance receiver, and assisting the standing-up from a seated posture where the head part of the assistance receiver is located rearward the swing axis to a standing posture where the head part of the assistance receiver is located forward the swing axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an assisting robot.

Patent Document 1 discloses an assisting robot that assists the person being assisted in standing up. This assisting robot is provided with two drive shafts, one is a shaft portion that moves vertically in the vertical direction as one of the drive members, and the other is a table that is swingably provided at the upper end of the shaft portion as the other drive member. To be equipped. This assisting robot swings (forward turns) the table to move it to the ascending preparation position with the elbow of the person being assisted in the sitting posture placed on the table, and then raises the table to receive the assistance. Get the caregiver up.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-217686

However, the assisting robot first turns the table forward with the elbow of the person being assisted in the sitting posture resting on the table. Since the table is raised by the front turn of the table, the upper body of the person being assisted is lifted as the front turn of the table starts.

Here, in the sitting posture in which the person being assisted is seated on the seat surface, the center of gravity of the person being assisted is usually separated from the ground contact position of the foot of the person being assisted. From this state, when the upper body of the person being assisted is lifted by turning the table forward, a force is generated that causes the upper body of the person being assisted to move backward from the table of the assisting robot. Therefore, a force is applied to the person being assisted to keep the person being assisted from leaving the table, which causes discomfort to the person being assisted.

An object of the present invention is to provide an assisting robot capable of suppressing discomfort to a person being assisted during a standing assisting operation.

The assistance robot according to the present invention can swing around a base, an elevating part that moves vertically with respect to the base, and a predetermined swing axis parallel to the elevating part in the left-right direction. Includes an arm provided in the above and raised by raising the elevating part, and a body receiving part provided at the tip of the arm to support the body of the person being assisted, and swinging so as to rise and move forward by turning the arm forward. By controlling the vertical movement of the moving holding portion, the vertical movement of the elevating portion, and the swing of the arm, the holding portion is swiveled forward so as to tilt the upper body of the person being assisted forward, and the head of the person being assisted. Includes a control device that assists standing from a sitting posture located rearward of the swinging axis to a standing posture in which the head of the person being assisted is located forward of the swinging axis.

According to the present invention, the swing axis of the arm is located in front of the head of the person being assisted in the initial sitting posture and behind the head of the person being assisted in the standing posture. By locating the swing axis of the arm as described above, the assisting robot can assist the person being assisted in standing up without causing discomfort.

It is a rear perspective view of the appearance of the assisting robot of this embodiment. It is a figure seen from the right side which shows the structure of the assisting robot, and shows the time when the person being assisted is in the initial sitting posture. It is a figure seen from the right side which shows the structure of the assisting robot, and shows the time when the person being assisted is in the initial sitting posture. It is a figure seen from the right side which shows the structure of the assisting robot, and shows the time when the person being assisted is in the initial sitting posture. It is a figure which shows the locus of the shoulder position P of the person being assisted, and the angle θ of the body receiving part at the shoulder positions P1, P2, P3 in the standing motion of the person being assisted using the assisting robot. It shows the time change of the angle θ of the body receiving portion from the start of assistance to the end of assistance in the standing motion of the person being assisted. As a comparative example, it is a figure which shows the locus of the shoulder position Pa of a healthy person, and the angle θa of the body at the shoulder positions Pa1, Pa2, Pa3 in the standing motion of a healthy person. It shows the angle θa of the body from the start of the movement to the end of the movement in the standing movement of a healthy person.

(1. Configuration of assistance robot 1)
The assisting robot 1 assists the person being assisted M (shown in FIG. 2) to stand up from a sitting posture to a standing posture and assists sitting from a standing posture to a sitting posture. In particular, the assisting robot 1 of the present embodiment mainly targets the assisted person M who has difficulty in standing up by himself / herself, and for example, assists the person being assisted in putting on and taking off the bottoms (clothes worn on the lower body) and the person being assisted M. It is effectively used to assist the excretion of robots. When the assisting robot 1 supports the upper body of the assisted person M in the standing posture, one caregiver can perform the above-mentioned treatment of the assisted person M. That is, the standing posture in the present embodiment means at least a state in which the lower body of the person being assisted M is standing, and does not mean a state in which the upper body and the lower body are standing.

The assisting robot 1 of the present embodiment will be described for the purpose of assisting the assisted person M in a standing posture in which only the lower body of the person being assisted M stands, but the assisted robot 1 in a standing posture in which the lower body and the upper body of the person being assisted M stand up. It can also be used as an aid.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assistance robot 1 includes a base 10, wheels 20, an elevating part 30, an arm 40, a holding part 50, a grip 60, a lower leg rest 70, and a control device 80. In the following, as shown in FIG. 1, the front-back, left-right, up-down are the front-back, left-right, up-down as seen from the person being assisted M.
The base 10 includes a frame 11, a support column 12, a footrest base 13, and a fixed cover 14. The frame 11 is located slightly away from the ground plane 2 (floor surface, ground) and is provided substantially horizontally with respect to the ground plane 2.

The support column 12 is fixed to the frame 11 and is erected upward from the front upper surface of the frame 11. The support column 12 is arranged in the center of the front of the frame 11 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the assisting robot 1 has one support column 12, but may include two or more support columns 12.

The footrest base 13 is fixed to the rear of the upper surface of the frame 11. On the upper surface of the footrest stand 13, a ground contact mark 13a for the foot of the person being assisted M is marked. That is, the ground contact mark 13a has a role of guiding the position of the foot to the person being assisted M. As shown in FIG. 1, the fixed cover 14 is fixed to the frame 11 or the support column 12 and surrounds the lower portion of the elevating main body 31 of the elevating portion 30 described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wheels 20 are arranged at the four front, rear, left, and right corners of the frame 11. The wheel 20 has a locking function that regulates rotation. In the present embodiment, the wheels 20 are provided so as to be freely rotatable, but the wheels 20 may be provided so as to be driveable by a driving device.

The elevating portion 30 includes an elevating main body 31, a swing support portion 32, and an elevating cover 33. As shown in FIG. 2, the elevating main body 31 is formed in an elongated shape in the vertical direction, and is provided on the front surface of the support column 12 so as to be vertically movable in the vertical direction. The elevating main body 31 is guided by a guide (not shown) on the front surface of the column 12, and is driven by a linear motion device (not shown). The elevating main body 31 is surrounded by a fixed cover 14.

The swing support portion 32 is provided on the upper end side of the elevating main body 31, and has a swing axis 32a parallel to the left-right direction. Specifically, the swing support portion 32 is formed so as to project rearward from the upper end of the elevating main body 31. That is, the swing axis 32a is located behind the support column 12 and behind the elevating main body 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, the elevating cover 33 is fixed to the elevating portion 30 and surrounds the elevating portion 30. Further, the elevating cover 33 surrounds the support column 12 and the fixed cover 14. The elevating cover 33 has an overlap with the fixed cover 14 even at a position where the elevating portion 30 is raised.
In the present embodiment, since the assistance robot 1 has one support column 12, it has one elevating part 30. However, if it has two or more support columns 12, the number of support columns 12 is increased. It will have a corresponding number of elevating parts 30.

The arm 40 is provided so as to be swingable about the swing axis 32a of the swing support portion 32 of the elevating portion 30 as a central axis. The arm 40 is swung by an arm drive device (not shown). The arm 40 swings at a position higher than the swing support portion 32. That is, the swing range of the arm 40 includes a state in which the tip of the arm 40 extends to the rear of the swing support portion 32 (shown in FIG. 2) and the tip of the arm 40 is near above the swing support portion 32 or the elevating body 31. It is between the state located in (shown in FIG. 4). When the assisting robot 1 assists in standing up, the arm 40 turns forward from the state of extending backward, and when the assisting robot 1 assists in sitting, the arm 40 is in a state of extending backward. Turn backward.

The holding portion 50 is provided at the tip of the arm 40 and holds the upper body of the person being assisted M. In the present embodiment, the holding portion 50 includes a body receiving portion 51 that comes into contact with the body of the person being assisted M, and a side receiving portion 52 that holds both sides of the person being assisted M. The holding portion 50 may include only one of the body receiving portion 51 and the side receiving portion 52.

The body receiving portion 51 supports the body of the person being assisted M from below. The body receiving portion 51 is formed in a planar shape and is formed of a cushion material. The body receiving portion 51 is formed into an initial shape corresponding to the body of a standard person being assisted M, and is flexibly deformed according to the body of each person being assisted M. In the present embodiment, the torso receiving portion 51 contacts the person being assisted M from the chest to the abdomen.

The side receiving portions 52 are formed in an arc shape, and are arranged on the left and right sides of the body receiving portion 51 so that the arc openings face upward. The side receiving portion 52 supports the upper body of the person being assisted M by supporting the side of the person being assisted M from below. Further, the side receiving portion 52 regulates the back-and-forth movement of the person being assisted M by sandwiching both sides of the person being assisted M from the front-rear direction. Therefore, the body receiving portion 51 and the side receiving portion 52 can regulate the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M in a state of being held by the holding portion 50.

As the arm 40 swings with respect to the elevating portion 30, the center line in the left-right direction of the body receiving portion 51 swings in the range of 20 ° to 110 ° with respect to the vertical line. When the angle of the center line of the body receiving portion 51 is in the range of 20 ° to 90 °, the body receiving portion 51 is in a state of facing upward and backward. On the other hand, when the angle of the center line of the body receiving portion 51 is in the range of 90 ° to 110 °, the body receiving portion 51 is in a state of facing upward and forward.

The grip 60 is formed in a U shape, and both ends of the U shape of the grip 60 are fixed to the lower surface of the body receiving portion 51. The central portion of the grip 60 is located in front of the body receiving portion 51 and is gripped by the person being assisted M held by the holding portion 50.

The lower leg pad 70 determines the position and posture of the lower body of the assisted person M in the sitting posture by contacting the front part of the lower leg (shin or knee) of the assisted person M in the sitting posture. In particular, the position of the foot is determined to some extent. The lower leg pad 70 is fixed to the support column 12 of the base 10. The lower leg pad 70 includes two support members 71 and a lower leg pad main body 72.

The support member 71 is formed in an L shape. The L-shaped end of the support member 71 is fixed to the support column 12, and the L-shaped other end of the support member 71 is located behind the support column 12. The lower leg pad main body 72 is fixed to the other end side of the support member 71, and is located behind the elevating cover 33 and below the swing support portion 32. The lower leg pad main body 72 is a portion where the front part of the lower leg of the person being assisted M is brought into contact with the lower leg, and is formed in a planar shape and is formed of a cushion material.

The control device 80 is fixed to the horizontal base 11 of the base 10, and is erected upward from the front upper surface of the horizontal base 11. The control device 80 is arranged next to the support column 12. The control device 80 controls the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30 and the swing of the arm 40 to assist the person being assisted in standing up and sitting.

When the operator (assisted person M or assistant) executes the adjustment operation of the standing start height, the control device 80 controls only the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30, and does not swing the arm 40 at this time. That is, the control device 80 adjusts the standing start height according to the extension of the person being assisted M.

Further, the control device 80 stores in advance a standing assist program for performing the standing assist operation. When the standing assist operation is executed by the operator (assisted person M or the caregiver), the control device 80 executes the standing assist program and controls the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30 and the swing of the arm 40. Further, the control device 80 stores in advance a seating assist program for performing the seating assisting operation. When the seating assist operation is executed by the operator (assisted person M or the caregiver), the control device 80 executes the seating assist program and controls the vertical movement of the elevating unit 30 and the swing of the arm 40. Further, the control device 80 corrects the standing assist program and the sitting assist program according to the standing starting height.

(2. Standing assistance operation by assistance robot 1)
The standing assist operation for the person being assisted M by the assisting robot 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. Here, in FIGS. 2 to 4, the thick solid line shows the locus of the shoulder position P during the standing motion of the person being assisted M, and the thick broken line shows the center of gravity G of the person being assisted M during the standing motion. Shows the trajectory. The standing assisting operation is an operation in which the assisting robot 1 shifts from the initial state shown in FIG. 2 to the intermediate state shown in FIG. 3 and reaches the final state shown in FIG. That is, by the standing assisting motion, the person being assisted M shifts from the initial sitting posture shown in FIG. 2 to the intermediate posture shown in FIG. 3, and becomes the standing posture shown in FIG. That is, the control device 80 moves the elevating portion 30 up and down and turns the arm 40 forward so that the shoulder position P moves in the locus shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the initial state of the standing assist operation, the person being assisted M is in a state of being seated on the seat surface 3 (state of sitting posture). The assisting robot 1 is set to the initial state of the standing assisting operation by the operation of the assisted person M or the assisted person. The initial state of the assisting robot 1 is a state in which the holding portion 50 is located at the rearmost position in the standing assist program. That is, the initial state of the assisting robot 1 is a state in which the arm 40 extends rearward. The lower body of the person being assisted M is arranged in the space below the holding portion 50. The foot of the person being assisted M is located on the ground contact mark 13a. The lower leg of the person being assisted M comes into contact with the rear surface of the lower leg pad main body 72.

In this state, the assisted person M or the assisted person performs a vertical movement operation of only the elevating part 30 according to the height of the upper body of the assisted person M who is in a sitting posture on the seat surface 3, thereby causing the control device 80. Moves the elevating part 30 up and down. In this way, the front surface of the body of the person being assisted M comes into contact with the body holding surface of the body receiving portion 51. Further, the person being assisted M places his side on the side receiving portion 52, and the person being assisted M grips the grip 60. In this initial state, the upper body of the person being assisted M is in a slightly forward leaning posture. However, the position of the center of gravity G1 of the person being assisted M in the anteroposterior direction in the initial state is located behind the range F of the foot of the person being assisted M in the anteroposterior direction.

Subsequently, when the person being assisted M or the caregiver starts the standing assist operation, the control device 80 coordinates the lowering of the elevating portion 30 with the forward turning of the arm 40 according to the standing assist program. Here, the movement of the person being assisted M from the initial sitting posture to the intermediate posture is referred to as a first movement. That is, the first operation is an operation in which the lowering of the elevating part 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 are coordinated in at least a part section from the initial sitting posture to the intermediate posture.

In the present embodiment, the cooperative operation of the lowering of the elevating part 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 is performed in all the sections from the initial sitting posture to the intermediate posture. Of course, the cooperative operation may be executed only in a part of the section. At this time, the arm 40 only turns forward and does not turn backward, and the elevating part 30 only turns down and does not rise.

By the first motion, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M moves forward substantially horizontally. In the first operation, the holding portion 50 is raised with respect to the elevating portion 30 by the forward turning of the arm 40. However, by lowering the elevating portion 30, the shoulder position P can be moved substantially horizontally. Here, the term "almost horizontal" includes a state in which the surface is slightly inclined up and down from the horizontal when it is horizontal.

Further, in the first operation, the body holding surface of the body receiving portion 51 tilts forward and moves forward due to the forward turning of the arm 40. Therefore, due to the coordinated first action, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M moves forward, and the rear end of the body receiving portion 51 rises. Therefore, the upper body of the person being assisted M is tilted forward, and the vicinity of the abdomen of the person being assisted M is lifted. By such a first action, the back muscle of the person being assisted M is stretched and the pelvis is raised while maintaining the state where the buttocks of the person being assisted M are in contact with the seat surface 3. Therefore, the holding portion 50 can stably support the person being assisted M in such a posture.

Further, in the intermediate posture, as shown in FIG. 3, the position of the center of gravity G2 of the person being assisted M in the front-rear direction enters the range F in the front-rear direction of the ground contact surface of the foot of the person being assisted M. Therefore, the person being assisted M cannot stand up by himself / herself, but in the intermediate posture, the person being assisted M is in a posture in which he / she can be stably supported by his / her feet.

Here, whether or not the position in the anteroposterior direction of the center of gravity G2 of the person being assisted M is included in the anteroposterior direction range F of the ground contact surface of the foot can be predicted from the elongation and the weight of the person being assisted M. Therefore, the above can be realized by predicting the center of gravity G of the person being assisted M in advance and setting the vertical movement of the elevating portion 30 and the forward turning angle of the arm 40.

In addition to this, the mass applied to the holding portion 50 can be measured, and the above determination can be made based on whether or not the mass of the person being assisted M has reached a predetermined ratio with respect to the mass of the upper body. Further, the above determination can be made depending on whether or not the rear load received by the holding unit 50 from the person being assisted M reaches a predetermined value or less. Further, the above determination can be made depending on whether or not the inclination of the upper body of the person being assisted M reaches a predetermined value or more.

Subsequently, the control device 80 switches the operation of the elevating unit 30 from descending to ascending. In the present embodiment, the control device 80 coordinates the raising of the elevating part 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 according to the standing assist program. Here, the movement of the person being assisted M from the intermediate posture to the standing posture is referred to as a second movement. That is, the second operation is an operation in which the raising of the elevating portion 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 are coordinated in at least a part of the section from the intermediate posture to the standing posture.

In the present embodiment, the cooperative operation of raising the elevating part 30 and turning the arm 40 forward is performed in all sections from the intermediate posture to the standing posture. Of course, the cooperative operation may be executed only in a part of the section. At this time, the arm 40 only turns forward and does not turn backward, and the elevating part 30 only turns up and does not lower.

By the second motion, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M rises substantially upward while slightly advancing from the intermediate posture. That is, the holding portion 50 moves slightly forward due to the forward turning of the arm 40, and rises mainly due to the rise of the elevating portion 30.

By performing the second movement, the buttocks of the person being assisted M rise away from the seat surface 3. In the second operation, the body holding surface of the body receiving portion 51 is further tilted forward by the forward turning of the arm 40. The upper body of the person being assisted M leans further forward while rising. Therefore, by the second movement, when the upper body of the person being assisted M rises, the state in which the back muscle of the person being assisted M is stretched is maintained. Therefore, during the second operation, the holding unit 50 can stably support the person being assisted M.

Further, during the second operation, the front-back direction position (G2 to G3) of the center of gravity G of the person being assisted M is located in the front-back direction range F of the ground contact surface of the foot of the person being assisted M. Therefore, when the upper body of the person being assisted M rises, the person being assisted M can get a sense of security.

(3. Position of swing axis 32a)
Next, the position of the swing axis 32a will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. The height from the upper surface of the footrest 13 to the swing axis 32a moves up and down in the range of 400 to 1000 mm by the vertical movement of the elevating portion 30. In the standing assist program, when the assisting robot 1 is in the intermediate state shown in FIG. 3, the swinging axis 32a is located at the lowest position, and when the assisting robot 1 is in the final state shown in FIG. 4, the swinging axis 32a is located. Located at the top. However, since the vertical movement of the elevating portion 30 can be adjusted as appropriate, the swing axis 32a can be changed in the lowest position and the highest position according to the extension of the person being assisted M.

The center of the body receiving portion 51 in the left-right direction contacts the center of the front surface of the body of the person being assisted M in the left-right direction. The distance L between the line parallel to the body holding surface of the person being assisted M by the body receiving part 51 of the holding part 50 and the swing axis 32a of the arm 40 passing through the shoulder position P (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4). ) Is 230 to 290 mm. In particular, the distance L is preferably 250 to 270 mm.

Further, the swing axis 32a is located in front of the front-rear direction range F of the ground contact surface of the foot of the person being assisted M. The swing axis 32a is located 250 to 450 mm ahead of the ground contact position of the heel of the foot of the person being assisted M. In particular, the distance between the swing axis 32a and the ground contact position is preferably 300 to 400 mm.

During the first movement, the swing axis 32a is within the height range of the upper body of the person being assisted M, that is, within the range from the lower surface (seat surface 3) of the buttocks of the person being assisted M to the upper end of the head. , Descend. In particular, in the present embodiment, the swing axis 32a descends within the height range of the body (chest and abdomen) of the person being assisted M during the first movement.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the swing axis 32a is located in front of the head of the person being assisted M in the initial sitting posture. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the swing axis 32a is located behind the head of the person being assisted M in the standing posture with the person being assisted M held by the holding portion 50.

(4. Shoulder positions of the person being assisted and the healthy person)
Next, in the standing assist operation, the locus of the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M and the locus of the angle θ of the body receiving portion 51 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, T1, T2, and T3 represent the time, P1 (T1) means the shoulder position P1 at the time T1, and P2 (T2) and P3 (T3) are the same.

For comparison, when a healthy person performs a standing motion, the locus of the shoulder position Pa and the locus of the body inclination θa of the healthy person will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, Ta1, Ta2, Ta3, and Ta4 represent the time, Pa1 (Ta1) means the shoulder position Pa1 at the time Ta1, and Pa2 (Ta2), Pa3 (Ta3), and Pa4 (Ta4). Is the same. The locus of the shoulder position P of the person being assisted and the locus of the angle θ of the body receiving portion 51, and the locus of the shoulder position Pa of the healthy person and the locus of the body angle θa are examples, and the locus of extension and The values will be different depending on the sitting height, inseam length, etc.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M is located at P1 at T1 when the person being assisted M is in the initial sitting posture, and is located at P2 at T2 when the person is in the intermediate posture, and is in the standing posture. At this time, it is located at P3 at T3. The shoulder position P advances almost horizontally from P1 to P2. After that, the shoulder position P rises to reach P3 while advancing from P2. The shoulder position P is rising from P1 to P3 while advancing. P1 is the lowest position and P3 is the highest position.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the angle θ of the body receiving portion 51 (corresponding to the angle of the body of the person being assisted M) is 35 ° to T1 when the person being assisted M is in the initial sitting posture, which is intermediate. It is 64 ° in T2 in the posture and 95 ° in T3 in the standing posture. As shown in FIG. 5B, the angle θ continues to increase.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6A, the shoulder position Pa of the healthy person is located at Pa1 at Ta1 when the healthy person is in the initial sitting posture, and the upper body is tilted forward and the buttocks rise away from the seating surface 3. In the posture, it is located at Ta2 and at the lowest position, Pa2. After that, the shoulder position Pa of the healthy person rises and is located at Ta4 and Pa4 in the standing posture.

The angle θa of the torso of a healthy person is 5 ° at Ta1 in the initial sitting posture, and becomes 44 ° at Ta2 when the buttocks are separated from the seating surface 3 by gradually tilting forward. Immediately after that, at Ta3, the body angle θa becomes maximum, and then the body angle θa rises while decreasing. The angle θa of the torso is 3 ° in Ta4 when in the standing posture.

The shoulder position P of the person being assisted M has a trajectory approximated from the vicinity of Pa2 to the vicinity of the middle of Pa3 and Pa4 at the shoulder position Pa of the healthy person. Therefore, since the person being assisted M stands up after sliding the upper body forward like a healthy person, the person being assisted M can stand up comfortably with the center of gravity G on the sole of the foot. However, in the case of a healthy person, the angle θa of the body increases and then decreases, whereas in the case of the person being assisted M, the angle θ of the body receiving portion 51 continues to increase. The reason for this difference is that the final standing posture is different.

(5. Effect)
The assistance robot 1 described above is provided on the base 10, an elevating portion 30 that moves vertically with respect to the base 10, and the elevating portion 30 so as to be swingable around a predetermined swing axis 32a as a central axis. The arm 40, the holding portion 50 provided at the tip of the arm 40 and holding the upper body of the person being assisted M, and the vertical movement of the elevating part 30 and the swing of the arm 40 are controlled with respect to the person being assisted M. It is provided with a control device 80 that assists in standing up from a sitting posture to a standing posture.

Then, the control device 80 is from the time when the person being assisted M shown in FIG. 2 is in the initial sitting posture (T1 in FIGS. 5A and 5B) to the intermediate posture shown in FIG. 3 (T2 in FIGS. 5A and 5B). In at least a part of the section, the first operation of coordinating the lowering of the elevating part 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 is executed. Further, the control device 80 is the elevating unit 30 in the section from the intermediate posture shown in FIG. 3 (T2 in FIGS. 5A and 5B) to the standing posture shown in FIG. 4 (T3 in FIGS. 5A and 5B). Perform the second action to raise.

The first operation by the control device 80 is an operation in which the lowering of the elevating unit 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 are coordinated. The forward rotation of the arm 40 causes the upper body of the person being assisted M to lean forward. Here, in the first operation, the holding portion 50 is raised with respect to the elevating portion 30 by turning the arm 40 forward, but the elevating portion 30 is lowered with respect to the base 10 by lowering the elevating portion 30. Therefore, in the first operation, at least a part of the ascending operation of the holding portion 50 with respect to the elevating portion 30 due to the forward turning of the arm 40 is offset by the descending operation of the elevating portion 30.

Therefore, when the center of gravity G of the person being assisted M moves forward from the initial sitting posture, in the case of the above-mentioned first movement, only the forward turning of the arm is performed as in the conventional case. Compared with the case, the amount of increase in the upper body of the person being assisted M is suppressed. Therefore, in the initial stage from the sitting posture to the standing posture, the amount of lifting of the upper body of the person being assisted M is reduced, and the discomfort to the person being assisted M is suppressed.

Further, the holding portion 50 includes a body receiving portion 51 that comes into contact with the body of the person being assisted M. The first operation is an operation of raising the rear end of the fuselage receiving portion 51 by coordinating the lowering of the elevating portion 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40. By such a first movement, the back muscle of the person being assisted M is stretched and the pelvis is in a standing state. Therefore, the holding portion 50 can stably support the person being assisted M in such a posture. Further, during the second operation, the assisting robot 1 can stably shift the assisted person M to the standing posture. That is, it is possible to give a sense of security to the person being assisted M.

Further, in the first operation, at least in a part of the section, the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M held by the holding portion 50 is substantially horizontal due to the coordination between the lowering of the elevating portion 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40. It is an action to move forward. By doing so, it is possible to prepare for standing up from T1 in the initial sitting posture to T2 in the intermediate posture without imposing a burden on the person being assisted M.

Further, the first operation and the second operation by the control device 80 include an operation of turning the arm 40 forward, and do not include an operation of turning the arm 40 backward. That is, the angle of the body of the person being assisted M changes in only one direction. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, in the case of a healthy person, the torso reverses in the middle. By performing the first motion and the second motion as described above, it is effective when the purpose is to assist the person being assisted in a standing posture in which only the lower body of the person M stands up.

Further, the second operation is an operation in which the ascending part 30 and the forward turning of the arm 40 are coordinated in at least a part of the section from T2 in the intermediate posture to T3 in the standing posture. That is, the person being assisted M further shifts to the forward leaning posture in the second movement. Therefore, it is particularly effective when the purpose is to assist the person being assisted in a standing posture in which only the lower body of the person M is standing.

Further, the swing axis 32a of the arm 40 descends within the height range of the upper body of the person being assisted M during the first operation. Further, the swing axis 32a of the arm 40 is located in front of the head of the person being assisted M in the initial sitting posture, and is located behind the head of the person being assisted in the standing posture. By locating the swing axis 32a of the arm 40 as described above, the assisting robot 1 can assist standing up without causing discomfort to the person being assisted M.

Further, the line passing through the shoulder position P of the person being assisted M held by the holding portion 50 and parallel to the body holding surface of the person being assisted M by the holding portion 50, and the swing axis 32a of the arm 40. The distance L is 230 to 290 mm. By locating the swing axis 32a of the arm 40 as described above, the assisting robot 1 can assist standing up without causing discomfort to the person being assisted M.

Further, the T2 in the intermediate posture of the person being assisted M may be any of the following. In the present embodiment, the intermediate posture T2 corresponds to all of the following, but at least one of the following may be applicable.

The first intermediate posture T2 of the person being assisted M is a time when the buttocks of the person being assisted M start to rise from the seat surface 3. The second intermediate posture T2 of the person being assisted M is when the position of the center of gravity G of the person being assisted M in the anteroposterior direction has entered the range F in the anteroposterior direction of the contact patch of the foot of the person being assisted M. The third T2 in the intermediate posture of the person being assisted M is when the holding portion 50 reaches a state of supporting a mass equal to or more than a predetermined ratio with respect to the mass of the upper body of the person being assisted M. The fourth intermediate posture T2 of the person being assisted M is when the rearward load received by the assisted robot 1 from the person being assisted M reaches a predetermined value or less. The fifth T2 in the intermediate posture of the person being assisted M is a time when the inclination of the upper body of the person being assisted M reaches a predetermined value or more.

1: Assistance robot, 3: Seat surface, 10: Base, 30: Elevating part, 31: Elevating body, 32: Swing support part, 32a: Swing axis, 40: Arm, 50: Holding part, 51: Torso receiving part, 52: Armpit receiving part, 80: Control device, F: Anterior-posterior range of the ground contact surface of the foot, M: Assisted person, G: Center of gravity of the assisted person, P: Shoulder position, T1: Initial In sitting position, T2: in intermediate position, T3: in standing position, θ: angle of body receiving part

Claims (3)

Base and
An elevating part that moves vertically with respect to the base,
An arm that is swingably provided with a predetermined swing axis parallel to the elevating portion in the left-right direction as a central axis and that rises when the elevating portion rises
A holding portion provided at the tip of the arm, including a torso receiving portion that supports the torso of the person being assisted, and swinging so as to rise and move forward by turning the arm forward.
By controlling the vertical movement of the elevating part and the swing of the arm, the holding part is swiveled forward so as to tilt the upper body of the person being assisted forward, and the head of the person being assisted is the swing axis. A control device that assists the person to stand up from a sitting posture located rearward to a standing posture in which the head of the person being assisted is located in front of the swing axis.
An assistance robot equipped with. The distance between the line parallel to the body holding surface of the person being assisted by the body receiving part and the swing axis of the arm, passing through the position of the shoulder of the person being assisted while being held by the holding part. Is 230 to 290 mm, the assistance robot according to claim 1. According to claim 1 or 2, the lower end of the body receiving portion is located below the swing axis in the sitting position and above the swing axis in the standing position. Described assistance robot.

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