JP2021045257A - Multipoint cane - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a multipoint cane that causes no interference with walking in spite of being a multipoint cane when it is advanced in walking, in view of the situation in which, for a person who needs a cane, a caster walker is often inconvenient because of the size, in which a T-shaped cane is not stable enough for supporting a body weight, and in which a conventional multipoint cane becomes a hindrance for the person walking with the cane advanced because of the structure that a plurality of supporting leg parts and parts to bridge respective supporting leg parts and a cane body are congested in the lower part of the cane.SOLUTION: The present invention is a walking assist cane including; a cane body; a grip part attached to the upper end side of the cane body; three or more supporting leg parts which are installed to the lower end side of the cane body; and a bridge part that connects the cane body part with each of the three or more supporting leg parts. The connection points between the cane body and the bridge part has a height higher than at least the leg height of a user, relative to a plane composed of any three points or more in the lower end part of each supporting leg part, which is the characteristic of the cane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a multi-point cane, which is an auxiliary device for a person who has a walking function inconvenience due to old age, illness, injury, or the like.

The cane has long been used as a device to assist walking function. Among them, the multi-point cane is a cane provided with a plurality of support legs, and has high stability because the load is distributed to the plurality of support legs as compared with the T-shaped cane. As an example of the multi-point cane, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-101451, REVO Co., Ltd.) has an appropriate support leg length according to the walking function of the user, and adjusts to an appropriate length. To enable the provision of a multi-point cane in which the length of at least one support leg in the longitudinal direction of the cane can be adjusted. Further, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-23301, University of Fukui, National University Corporation) considers that the cane is unstable because the supporting legs that come into contact with the cane change every moment when the cane is moved during walking. To provide a multi-point cane with a cushioning mechanism on the support leg. However, all of these multi-point canes have a mechanism built into the most loaded support leg, so there is a problem with the durability of the support leg and the cane is liable to break during use, which should be avoided most. There was a drawback.

Further, as can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 13 of Patent Document 2, the correct usage of the multi-point cane so far has been to poke the cane slightly forward of the right or left side of the body, not in front of the body. So to speak, it was used as a third leg along with the side of the body. However, typical older people often have upper body flexion and need to poke a cane in front of the body to support the load on the upper body. Furthermore, there are many situations where it is impossible or dangerous to poke a cane on the side of the body, such as when the width of the passage is narrow, such as in a corridor of a hospital or house, or especially on a sidewalk with a gutter. .. On the other hand, if a conventional multi-point cane is attached to the front of the body and an attempt is made to walk, the user's foot comes into contact with the leg of the support leg of the multi-point cane that is close to the body, and the cane comes off. The user may fall over. So far, a T-shaped cane or a large walker as disclosed in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-61251, Welfan Co., Ltd.) has been used to assist walking of a person with a bent upper body. Has been used. However, the T-shaped cane cannot ensure sufficient stability, and the large walker has a drawback of poor maneuverability, for example, if there is a step, the user must lift a large and heavy walker. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-101451 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-23341 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-61251

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a multi-point cane suitable for poking in front of the body. Specifically, the present invention is that for those who need a cane, the pedestrian is often awkward to handle due to its size, the T-shaped cane is not stable enough to support weight, and In the conventional multi-point cane, multiple support legs and the part that bridges each support leg and the cane body are densely packed in the lower part of the cane. In view of the fact that it becomes a multi-point cane, the theme is to provide a multi-point cane that does not hinder walking even if the cane is pierced forward.

In the first aspect, the present invention includes a cane main body, a grip attached to the upper end side of the cane main body, and three or more support legs attached to the lower end side of the cane main body. It is a walking assist cane provided with a bridging portion that connects the cane main body and the three or more support legs, respectively, and the connecting point between the cane main body and the bridging portion is each support leg. Provided is a walking assist cane characterized in that it has a height at least higher than the foot height of the user with respect to a surface composed of any three or more points of the lower end portion of the cane. Considering that the foot height of a Japanese adult is about 5 to 8 cm, the height of the connecting point between the cane body portion and the cross-linked portion is preferably 10 to 23 cm. Due to the height of the connecting point between the cane main body and the cross-linked portion, the walking assist cane of the present invention can provide a space in the lower part of the cane in which a foot can be inserted.

In a more preferable embodiment, in order to further enhance the effect, in the walking assist cane of the present invention, the distance between at least one of the two adjacent supporting legs is wider than the foot width. It is characterized by being an interval. Considering that the foot width is about 7 to 13 cm in a Japanese adult, the distance between at least one of the two adjacent supporting legs is preferably 12 to 43 cm.

In a further aspect, the walking assist cane of the present invention can appropriately adjust the angle of the cane so that the cane can be used at any desired position on the side surface or the front surface of the body. Specifically, in the walking assist cane of the present invention, the cane main body is composed of a pair of upper cane main body and lower cane main body, and the bottom surface of the upper cane main body is opened to open the lower cane main body. The upper end of the upper cane body can be inserted, or the upper surface of the lower cane body is opened so that the lower end of the upper cane body can be inserted, and the lower end of the upper cane body and the lower cane body are inserted. The upper end portion of the portion may be slidable, and a mechanism for fixing the attachment angle between the upper cane main body portion and the lower cane main body portion may be provided.

The fixing mechanism of such a mounting angle is, for example, one or more fastener fitting insertion holes and two or more fasteners, and the fastener fitting insertion holes are the pair of upper cane main body portion and lower cane main body portion. It is a mechanism provided on one side, the fastener is provided on the other side as a protrusion that repels outward, and the adjacent fasteners are provided radially at approximately 90 degrees. Alternatively, as another example, the mounting angle fixing mechanism is two or more fastener fitting insertion holes and one fastener, and the fastener fitting insertion holes are the pair of upper cane main body and lower cane main body. It is provided on one of the portions, and the fastener is provided on the other side as a protrusion that repels outward, and the fastener fitting insertion hole is provided on the outer periphery of the cane main body at approximately 90 degree intervals. It is a mechanism that has been used.

The walking assist cane of the present invention is more stable than a T-shaped cane, is easier to handle than a walker, and can be thrust forward by putting a foot in the leg of the cane. Therefore, the legs do not come into contact with the cane, and the weight balance is closer to the center of the body, which stabilizes the body. Further, by poking the cane in front, it becomes easier to pass in a narrow passage as compared with the case where the cane is used next to the body. Furthermore, the walking assist cane of the present invention has high durability and productivity due to its simple structure.

A perspective view of the walking assist cane of the present invention in which the cross-linked portion is a straight type is shown. The perspective view of the walking assist cane of this invention which the cross-linking part is H type is shown. When the innermost part of the outer circumference is 0 o'clock, the upper cane main body portion provided with a plurality of holes for inserting and inserting fasteners at 5 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions is shown. A lower cane main body for inserting from the bottom surface of the upper cane main body as a pair with the upper cane main body in FIG. 3, and for inserting into any one of the holes of the upper cane main body. Shows the lower cane body, which is provided with a single protrusion that bounces outward as a fastener. The upper cane body portion provided with a plurality of holes for inserting and inserting the fastener is shown. A lower cane main body for inserting from the bottom surface of the upper cane main body as a pair with the upper cane main body in FIG. 5, and for inserting into any one of the holes of the upper cane main body. The lower cane main body is shown with a first protrusion that bounces outward and a second protrusion that is located 90 degrees from the first protrusion as a fastener.

The present invention includes a cane body, a grip attached to the upper end side of the cane body, three or more support legs attached to the lower end side of the cane body, the cane body and the cane. A walking cane provided with a bridging portion that connects three or more support legs, and the connecting point between the cane body and the bridging portion is any one of the lower ends of the supporting legs. Provided is a walking assist cane (walking assist cane of the present invention), which has a height at least higher than the user's foot height with respect to a surface composed of three or more points. In the present specification, the multi-point cane means a cane having a plurality of support legs, and the walking assist cane of the present invention is also a multi-point cane.

The cane body is typically a polygonal column such as a cylinder or hexagonal column in order to increase rigidity, but the cane body is bent for reasons such as integrally molding the grip and the cane body. You may. Alternatively, the cane body is composed of a pair of upper cane body and lower cane body, and the bottom surface of the upper cane body is opened so that the upper end of the lower cane body can be inserted, or the lower cane body is inserted. The upper surface of the cane is opened so that the lower end of the upper cane body can be inserted, and the lower end of the upper cane body and the upper end of the lower cane body can be slidable to allow the length of the cane body. And the orientation may be adjustable. That is, slidable means not only that the cane moves in the longitudinal direction, but also that the cane can be rotated to adjust the direction. For example, the cane body portion whose orientation can be adjusted may be provided with a fastener for fixing the pair of upper cane main body portions and the lower cane main body portion, and a hole for inserting the fastener, for example, the lower cane body portion. A protrusion that bounces outward can be provided as a fastener at the upper end portion of the main body portion, and a plurality of holes for inserting the fastener can be provided at the lower end portion of the upper cane main body portion.

When providing a plurality of holes, in order to adjust the height of the cane, it is usual to provide holes continuously in the longitudinal direction of the cane body, but in the present invention, the cane is particularly pierced in front of the body. Because it is intended, the mounting angle between the upper cane body and the lower cane body can be adjusted so that the cane can be used by turning it 90 degrees so that it can be used on both the front and side of the body. It may be provided with a fixing mechanism. As a mechanism for fixing the mounting angle, for example, holes are provided at about 90 degrees, for example, every 85 to 95 degrees, that is, at four places on the outer periphery of the lower end of the upper cane main body and the upper end of the lower cane main body. , The hole facing the rod-shaped fastener, that is, the hole with the lower end of the upper cane body and the hole 180 degrees opposite to the hole, and the hole with the upper end of the lower cane body and the hole 180 degrees opposite. It may be possible to insert all of the holes of. Further, for example, at the lower end of the upper cane body or the outer circumference of the upper end of the lower cane body, the positions are approximately 90 degrees, for example, every 85 to 95 degrees, or, for example, the outer circumference at 0 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock. One that is provided with holes at any two or more, for example, three positions at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock, and repels outward at the lower end of the lower cane body or the upper end of the upper cane body. Fasteners may be provided. Alternatively, two or more holes are provided at the lower end of the upper cane body so that the cane can be turned 90 degrees and can be used, and two or more holes are provided at the upper end of the lower cane body and are located at 90 degree intervals. A plurality of protrusions, for example, a second protrusion provided on a straight line intersecting the longitudinal direction of the first protrusion at approximately 90 degrees, and optionally further on a straight line intersecting the longitudinal direction of the second protrusion at approximately 90 degrees. A provided third protrusion, or, if desired, a fourth protrusion provided on a straight line intersecting the longitudinal direction of the third protrusion at approximately 90 degrees may be provided.

The grip portion may be any grip portion used for a cane, and is not particularly limited. The grip portion may be integrated with the cane body portion or may be a separate member connected to the upper end of the cane body portion.

The plurality of support legs consist of 3 to 6 support legs, for example, 3, 4, or 6, particularly typically four support legs. The lower end side of the support leg portion is in contact with the ground, and the upper end side is connected to the cane main body portion via the bridge portion. The lower end side of the support leg may be further provided with a non-slip member such as a rubber cap. The length of each support leg may be different or the same, but typically the length of each support leg is the same. Since the support leg is one of the most forceful members of the cane to come into contact with the ground, it is preferably a cylindrical or polygonal column without an extra mechanism, such as a length adjustment mechanism.

The cross-linking portion may be of a linear type in which one cross-linking portion is connected to the cane main body portion for each support leg portion, or a plurality of support leg portions, for example, two support leg portions are connected to one. It may be a T-shape in which the bridging portion is connected to the cane main body, or an H-shaped in which one bridging portion connects the four support legs to the cane main body. The crosslinked portion and the support leg portion may be fixed by welding, fitting, bolt / nut fastening, or the like, or one rod may be bent to create each portion. The bridge portion and the cane body portion are typically connected by welding, fitting, screwing, or the like. When the bridge and the support leg are created by bending one rod, their connection point is considered to be the part where the support leg is perpendicular to the ground plane when the cane is raised. , The starting point of bending can be considered as a connecting point. Alternatively, the support leg portion and the bridge portion may be integrated into an arch structure having no portion perpendicular to the ground plane.

The surface consisting of any three or more points of the lower end of each support leg typically corresponds to the ground contact surface when the cane is erected on the ground. It is said that the connection point between the cane main body and the bridge is at least higher than the user's foot height with respect to the surface consisting of any three or more of the lower ends of the support legs. The distance from the intersection of the center line in the long axis direction of the main body and the lower end of each support leg at least three points to the connection point between the cane main body and the bridge is at least the user's distance. It means that it is longer than the height of the legs. For example, the height is preferably 5 to 15 cm, particularly 7 to 12 cm higher than the foot height. Here, the foot height is the vertical height from the ground contact surface to the instep at the center of the foot length by connecting the longest finger from the tip of the heel with a straight line (foot length), and is a Japanese adult. Is about 5-8 cm, typically about 6-7 cm. Therefore, in the walking assist cane of the present invention for adults, the height can be 10 to 23 cm, for example, 12 to 20 cm, typically 13 to 18 cm. Such height may be achieved only by the length of the support leg, may be achieved by the length of the support leg and the rise of the bridge, or the support leg and the bridge may be integrated. It may be achieved by forming an arch and depending on the height of the arch.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distance between at least one of the two adjacent supporting legs is the outermost point of the joint of the first toe of the foot and the outermost point of the joint of the fifth toe. It has an interval wider than the distance (foot width), for example, 5 to 30 cm wider than the foot width, for example, 10 to 25 cm, and is typically a Japanese adult with a foot width of about 7 to 13 cm. Therefore, the distance is 12 cm or more, for example, 18 cm or more, preferably 23 cm or more, more preferably 25 cm or more, for example, 12 to 43 cm, preferably 18 to 40 cm, and more preferably 23 to 35 cm. If the distance between at least one of the adjacent support legs is too wide, it will be difficult to handle, so it is preferable to set it to 40 cm or less, and the more room there is than the width of the foot, the easier it is to put the foot under the cane. At the same time, it is preferable to set the height to 18 cm or more because it can support the weight more stably and give the user a sense of security.

In the H-shaped cross-linking part, three sub-sites of the left-side cross-linking part, the central cross-linking part, and the right-side cross-linking part can be found. You can create a space for your feet. As an example, the length of the left cross-linked portion is 12 cm or more, for example 12 to 30 cm, preferably 15 to 27 cm, and the length of the right cross-linked portion is 12 cm or more, for example 12 to 43 cm, preferably 18 to 40 cm. The length of the central cross-linking portion is preferably 12 to 43 cm, for example, 18 to 40 cm, preferably 23 to 35 cm, so that the length of the central cross-linked portion is preferably 23 to 35 cm, and is relatively narrow from the upper and lower sides of H, from the right side, or relatively narrow. However, you can also put your foot in the multi-point cane from the left side. In consideration of the case where only one leg has a disability such as hemiplegia, the bridge portion on either the left or right side may be shorter than the other. Furthermore, when the foot is put into the multi-point cane, the length of the central bridge and the position of the cane body attached to the central bridge are adjusted so that the other foot and the support leg of the multi-point cane do not come into contact with each other. It is preferable to determine. Specifically, the length from one end of the central bridge to the attachment position of the cane body is greater than the width from the hand opposite to the end to the inner surface of the foot on the end side. Is also preferably a short length, which is longer than the width from the hand located on the opposite side of the end to the inner surface of the foot on the opposite side of the end. For example, when holding a cane with the right hand, the length from the left end of the central bridge to the cane body mounting position is shorter than the width to the inner side of the right hand and left foot when the multi-point cane is pierced, and the right hand and right foot. The length is preferably longer than the width to the inner surface, and the length is, for example, 8 to 22 cm, preferably 10 to 20 cm, and more preferably 12 to 18 cm. Since the length of the sub-site of this cross-linking portion corresponds to the distance between the adjacent support legs, the length of each cross-linking portion in the linear or T-shaped cross-linking portion is determined with reference to this dimension. can do.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows Example 1 according to the present invention. The multi-point cane (1) of the first embodiment has a cane body (21), a grip (31), four support legs (41 to 44), each support leg (41 to 44), and a cane body. It is provided with four cross-linked portions (51 to 54) connecting the (21). Each support leg (41 to 44) was set to 15 cm with a margin in view of the fact that the foot height of an adult Japanese is about 8 cm. The length of each cross-linking part is the same, the distance between the two support legs (41 and 44) is 28 cm, and the four cross-linking parts (51 to 54) are horizontally attached to each support leg. Below the bridge portion where each connection point between (41 to 44) and each bridge portion (51 to 54) is located at the same height as the connection point between each bridge portion (51 to 54) and the cane body portion (21). A space with a width of 28 cm and a height of 15 cm was secured as a space for the user to put his / her feet while walking. As a result, for example, assuming that the multi-point cane (1) of the present invention is gripped by the right hand, when the multi-point cane (1) is thrust forward of the body and the right foot is extended forward, the toe of the right foot is a support leg (41). And 44), it will go under the bridge (41 and 44) that bridges the two support legs (41 and 44) and the cane body (21), and the multi-point cane (41 and 44). It is possible to walk without the feet touching 1).

FIG. 2 shows Example 2 according to the present invention. The multi-point cane (2) of the second embodiment has a cane body (21), a grip (31), four support legs (41 to 44), each support leg (41 to 44), and a cane body. It is provided with an H-shaped crosslinked portion (55) that connects with (21). Each support leg (41 to 44) is 15 cm, the length of the central rod of the H-shaped bridge (55) is 28 cm, and the cane body (21) and the bridge (55) are arranged so as to be 4: 3. ) And concatenated. The length on the left side of the H-shaped crosslinked portion (55) was set to 23 cm, and the length on the right side was set to 32 cm. By horizontally attaching the H-shaped cross-linking portion (55), a space for the user to put his / her foot during walking was secured under the cross-linking portion. As a result, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to walk without the foot touching the multi-point cane (1).

3 and 4 show a pair of upper cane main body (22) and lower cane main body (23) of the third embodiment, respectively. The upper cane body (22) has a cylindrical structure with an open bottom surface, and a plurality of holes (24a to 24d) for inserting fasteners at 5 o'clock on the outer circumference are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction. Further, a plurality of holes (24e to 24h) for inserting and inserting the fastener at the position of 8 o'clock, which is a position of 90 degrees clockwise of each of the holes, are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction. Further, the upper surface of the upper cane main body portion (22) is provided with a hole (25) for inserting the grip portion (31). The upper end of the lower cane body (23) is inserted into the upper cane body (22) from the bottom surface of the upper cane body (22) and slid to adjust the length and orientation of the cane body (21). It is possible. The lower cane body (23) is provided as a fastener with one outwardly projecting protrusion (26) for fitting and inserting into any one of the holes (24a to 24h) of the upper cane body (22). .. When the upper cane body (22) and the lower cane body (23) are slid so that the position of the protrusion (26) and the position of any of the holes (24a to 24h) are aligned, the protrusion (26) faces outward. By elastically inserting the cane into the hole, the pair of upper cane main body (22) and lower cane main body (23) are fixed to form an integrated cane main body (21).

5 and 6 show a pair of upper cane main body (22) and lower cane main body (23) of the fourth embodiment, respectively. The upper cane main body (22) has a cylindrical structure with an open bottom surface, and a plurality of holes (24a to 24d) for inserting and inserting fasteners are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction. Further, the upper surface of the upper cane main body portion (22) is provided with a hole (25) for inserting the grip portion (31). The upper end of the lower cane body (23) is inserted into the upper cane body (22) from the bottom surface of the upper cane body (22) and slid to adjust the length and orientation of the cane body (21). It is possible. The lower cane main body (23) is provided with a first protrusion (26a) and a first protrusion (26a) that bounce outward and a second protrusion (26b) that bounces outward at a position of 90 degrees as fasteners. The upper cane main body (22) and the lower cane main body (23) are slid so that either one of the first protrusion (26a) and the second protrusion (26b) is a hole (24a) in the upper cane main body (22). It is inserted into any one of ~ 24d).

1 Multi-point cane 2 Multi-point cane 21 Cane body 22 Upper cane body 23 Lower cane body 24 Fastener fitting insertion hole 25 Grip insertion hole 26 Fastener protrusion 31 Grip 41 Support leg 42 Support leg 43 Support Leg 44 Support leg 51 Bridge 52 Bridge 53 Bridge 53 Bridge 54 Bridge 55 H-type bridge

Claims (7)

The cane body, the grip attached to the upper end side of the cane body, the three or more support legs attached to the lower end side of the cane body, the cane body and the three or more. A walking cane provided with a bridging portion that connects each of the support legs, and the connecting point between the cane main body and the bridging portion is from any three or more points of the lower end of each support leg. A walking cane characterized by having a height at least higher than the height of the user's foot with respect to the surface. The walking assist cane according to claim 1, wherein the height of the connecting point between the cane main body portion and the cross-linked portion is 10 to 23 cm. The walking assist cane according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the two adjacent support legs is spaced apart from the width of the foot. The walking assist cane according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the two adjacent supporting legs has a distance of 12 to 43 cm. The cane body is composed of a pair of upper cane body and lower cane body, and the bottom surface of the upper cane body is opened so that the upper end of the lower cane body can be inserted, or the lower cane body can be inserted. The upper surface of the main body is opened so that the lower end of the upper cane main body can be inserted, and the lower end of the upper cane main body and the upper end of the lower cane main body are slidable. The walking cane according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a mechanism for fixing the attachment angle between the upper cane main body and the lower cane main body. The mounting angle fixing mechanism is one or more fastener fitting insertion holes and two or more fasteners, and the fastener fitting insertion holes are any one of the pair of upper cane main body and lower cane main body. Claimed to be provided on one side, the fastener being provided on the other side as a protrusion that repels outwards, and adjacent fasteners being provided at a position of approximately 90 degrees. Item 5 Walking Aid Cane. The fixing mechanism of the mounting angle is two or more fastener fitting insertion holes and one fastener, and the fastener fitting insertion hole is one of the pair of upper cane main body and lower cane main body. The fastener is provided on the other side as a protrusion that repels outward, and the fastener fitting insertion hole is provided on the outer circumference of the cane body at approximately 90 degrees. The walking stick for walking assistance according to claim 5, which is characteristic.

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